Linden Housing Authority in TX

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.

The Housing Choice Voucher Program is aimed at helping low-income families who meet the requirement of income lower than 50% of the local area median income. The idea is that the cost of the rent is split between the tenant and the federal assistance program. The part that you pay depends on your income. You could get up to 30 % assistance on your rent or more, all depends on the specifics of the situation.

The main unit of measurement is the Fair Market Rent cost. If the unit that you live in has a cost that is in the range of the Fair Market Rent, you will get the 30% or more rent assistance as designated from the program and you pay the rest of the rent. If you choose to live in an apartment that is above the fair market rent, the Housing Choice Voucher Program will cover their percentage as a total of the housing market rent. Anything above the housing market rent will be charged out of your pocket.

The idea of Section 8 is that it allows the landlord to rent their proprieties to eligible tenants that get federal help. The tenant pays its rent partially with the voucher and partially with its money. Section 8 covers rent for up to one year. For more than 1 year, you apply again for the program.

You can apply for the housing choice voucher program by reaching out to the local housing authority office. You fill out their application form and provide all supporting documents. After you have all the forms and supporting documents, you drop them at the local office, and then you are placed on a waiting list. If approved, you will receive a mail at your current address stating the details. You will then notify your landlord. After you have been accepted onto the housing choice voucher program go to the housing office and sign the contract.

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.