City of Oceanside Housing & Neighborhood Services

Brief Information About Housing Authorities in Oceanside

The City of Oceanside Housing & Neighborhood Services is situated 321 North Nevada St Oceanside California. The phone number is 760-435-3360.

The HA is responsible for managing the housing program for citizens in need. This includes the application step, the guidelines for eligibility, and any other resources. The HA’s mission is to provide subsidized rents for low-income families, provide access to various assistance programs for housing problems. You can reach out to the City of Oceanside Housing & Neighborhood Services for issues regarding the qualification process, the location of the proprieties that are under the office’s management, or any information regarding Oceanside Section 8 landlord’s details.

2024 Income Limits

According to the latest statistical data as of 2024, the median income is $24,327. You can find up-to-date data on income limits for Oceanside and other cities by clicking on the link:

How Do I Apply in City of Oceanside Housing & Neighborhood Services?

To apply for the Public Housing Program or the Section 8 voucher, you would need to reach out to the City of Oceanside Housing & Neighborhood Services first. From them, you will get the application form. You also prepare the necessary for all the family members: ID, employment, bank account info, bank account status. You can e-mail or drop in the application at the City of Oceanside Housing & Neighborhood Services office. They will contact you with any questions.

More information can be found on the official HUD website:

FAQ

What are housing authorities?

A housing authority (HA) is made up of various agencies that offer housing assistance funded by HUD. Housing authorities are targeted for old age, low-income people, people who suffer from disabilities, or people that are escaping domestic abuse. Each HA covers different jurisdictions, as there are housing authorities for each local area. There are more than 3300 housing authorities in the USA. The housing authority has information regarding possible programs that you can apply, and about what types of help can you qualify to get. The most common type of help that people get from the public housing authorities includes vouchers, which cover specific percentages of their rent costs and their utilities.

How long is the waiting list for the housing authority?

The most common HA program is Section 8. There is a long waiting list for this program. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of people that have applied for the vouchers of Section 8 has skyrocketed, hence there are a lot of application delays. As of right now, the housing authority waiting list is 1 year and a half. The public housing authority programs favors specific groups of people or families that fit certain profiles. Priority is given to veterans, to the elderly, to the people that are exiting domestic violence.

What is meant by the term public housing?

Public housing is a program that has more than 900000 units across all USA. They are rarer in rural areas. These units are more often in poor areas and racially segregated communities. The service is to prevent homelessness, in one way or another. The HA gives rental vouchers that cover some part of the rent, and the tenants are responsible for covering a small part of the rent. That part depends on the agreement and the situation of the tenant. The HA program is designed to help people that are struggling to get a roof on their heads. The HA can be managed by the state, and by local agencies.

What is the difference of Section 8 and public housing?

The idea of the HA is to provide housing assistance. There are differences among all the programs that we have mentioned so far in this material. Section 8 allows you to choose a preferred location. The landlord must also agree to accept the Section 8 housing vouchers.

Section 8 has 2 subdivisions: there is a tenant option and a project option. The tenant voucher follows the tenant. This means that the tenant can change housing and transfer the voucher with him if the new landlord accepts these vouchers as payment. The project housing is tied to a specific location and the tenant must reside in that location to get the rental assistance. In the public housing program, the proprieties are owned by the rental assistance agency.

There is also public housing, which is managed by the government. The idea is that there are housing options that are subsidized by the government. This program welcomes low-income families. The rent that the tenants pay depends on their annual income. So the difference between section 8 vs public housing is that section 8 lets you choose your residence and you get a subsidy on your rent and public housing allows you to live in a place that is owned by the government.

How do I qualify for Section 8 housing?

Section 8 is a great program to offer rental assistance. The voucher of Section 8 covers 30-40% of the rent cost, which also includes utilities.
To qualify for section 8 vouchers, you need to prove to the housing authorities that minimally your income is 80% of the local median income. You also need to show American citizenship to all the people in your household. With immigrants, there are extra documents to submit, such as naturalization documents or I-94 stamps. You also need to show your past landlord history, hence if you have an eviction record, you will be disqualified.

Reference

California HUB News
Official websites of housing authorities in California