Valdese Housing Authority

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 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.

The housing authority does detailed research to make sure that the people that are helped with rental assistance will get better and will make use of the help. This means that background checks are an important part of the work. The housing authority will disregard any applicant that has a criminal background. The housing authority will deny any applicant that is a sex offender or has records of drug use. The other detail is that if you have had a previous housing authority assistant and you got evicted, that is a big no, and your application will be rejected.

Regarding the use of the drug, there is a way around that and is the fact that you show that you have completed a drug treatment program. Even if you have a criminal background, each case is special, and you are given a chance to say your plea and to explain the circumstances. Also, felonies older than 5 years are not considered part of the application.

Applying for housing authority assistance needs a lot of paperwork, but is very straightforward. You start by reaching out to your local HA. You can open our free site to find the closest to your location. You complete the housing options assessment, which is an online form. You also bring the supporting documents: id, proof of income, and details regarding your special situation. After, you get all these documents and crop them at your local housing authority.

After your application is received, you will get a written notification of your application. If you get accepted, you will sign a lease with your HA.

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.