Willmar Housing Authority

To qualify for the housing authority, you need to reach out to the housing authority office. You then fill out a form that they give you and on that form, you list the below information:

• Names of the persons that will live with you.
• Their sex, birthdate, and relationship to you.
• Your contact and current address.
• Special circumstances that apply to you ( veteran, disability, elderly, etc.).
• Details of the previous landlord. The idea is that these landlords will be reached out to and asked if you are a reliable tenant.
• Income information, which means tax documents and W2 documents.
• Bank information, as that will be used to check the accuracy of your monetary situation.
• There is also a chance that you might get a home visit and asked questions.

The housing authority provides help with rent money. They can also help you with a very frequent housing problem: dead-beat landlords. If you have an issue with your landlord, and they do not do anything even after you complain, then hoping that things will change is a waste of time. It is time to act on your own and there are many resources that you can use to help yourself.

There is the rental protection agency, which then reports to higher housing authorities for inappropriate landlord conduct. The service can be completed online and there is a small fee for each application. The rental protection agency will take care of money issues, house code violations, or any management problems.

You are also welcome to go to the local police, which is free and immediate assistance. If you live in a place where the landlord is getting housing vouchers from you, then you can complain directly to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. You can reach them at this number : (800) 685-8470.

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 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.