ByFile an HUD Housing Application Online and Hear Back Quickly
Access to decent housing is a fundamental right for every US citizen. Currently, nearly half of American households earn less than the median income. Due to the increasing rents, most of these households spend more than 30% of their income on rent.
According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), these families are cost-burdened since most have to cut on other necessities. Worse, very low-income households might be forced to dwell in unsanitary homes. It's these facts that different federal public housing assistance programs have been curated to try and offer affordable public housing or subsidized rent in the private market.
The good news is that you can get assistance if you're struggling to pay rent or your current family house is substandard. But how do you go about ? Well, DoNotPay has innovated a quick way to contact your local public housing authority and apply for affordable housing. The best part is that you can do this entirely online without the need to pay any fare to the housing authority's office.
A Quick Glance at HUD Public Housing
target low-income households, senior citizens of the community, veterans, and people living with disabilities. The rent assistance can usually come in one of three ways:
1. Section 8
This is perhaps the most popular method of affording low-earning Americans decent housing in the private market. The HCV program is federally coordinated and funded by the HUD, but various administration work is delegated to the local housing authority. Therefore, you'll have to send your application form to your area's PHA to apply for assistance when any waiting list is open.
When you're offered a voucher, the government pays a part of your rent, i.e., the lease balance, after you pay 30% of your income to the landlord. With this arrangement, you'll have to find a suitable rental on your own after you receive the voucher.
2. Project-based
Various housing authorities liaise with private developers to set aside rent-reduced apartments. These privately owned rental apartments with reduced rents don't offer a lot of choice on where to live.
3. Public housing
There is government-owned public housing in many towns and cities where applicants can be settled. In this arrangement, you pay a subsidized rent to the PHA depending on your estimated adjusted annual gross income.
Who Can Qualify for HUD Public Housing Program?
Qualification for application to government rental assistance programs depends on your local PHA guidelines. However, most PHAs will require that:
| Income Eligibility | Your family income may not exceed 80% of the median income in the county or city you intend to live in. Nevertheless, those earning less than 50% of the median pay (very low income) are prioritized. |
| Age & Disability Eligibility | Special preference may be considered for the elderly, veterans, or people living with a disability. |
| Citizenship Eligibility | You must be a US citizen or have approved immigration status. |
How to Apply for Low-Income HUD Housing
Section 8 and other forms of rental assistance can be obtained by contacting your local PHA to learn whether there's any currently open waiting list. If there are low-income housing openings, and you're eligible, you can fill out the application form and mail it to the PHA or go to their office in person. During the application process, the local PHA will collect information that will enable them to reassess your eligibility and suitability.
This includes information concerning:
- Family income
- Number of family members
- Personal identity
- Employer info
- Bank account
- Contacts to current and previous landlords
After successfully verifying your eligibility status, the PHA will add you to the waiting list on a first-come, first-served criterion unless you fall under a special group or assistance is available immediately.
If you need affordable rental housing, you can use this government resource website to find one near your area.
How to Request Housing Assistance with DoNotPay
HUD housing application is not a walk in the park. Getting everything right and knowing when a waiting list is open with your PHA is the first line of ensuring success. But you might not always have time to scan the local papers or the internet for an announcement of a Section 8 opening. That's why it's crucial to keep things in top gear by ensuring you can automatically be notified when any open waiting list application is available.
And this is precisely where DoNotPay helps you. With just two steps, you can check your family's eligibility with the local PHA and get to know when the application opens.
Here is how to go about it:
- Answer a few questions about your income, family size, veteran/disability status, which county you hope to live in, etc.
- DoNotPay will find the PHA in charge of that county and contact them with all of your eligibility information to determine if you can start applying. They'll get back to you directly via email with the next steps.
And that's all!
What Else Can We Do For You?
What if we showed you how to save money and time by solving your day-to-day hassles more efficiently? Some of these ways are listed here:
- Breaking a lease the easy way
- Changing your mail address fast
- Deleting harmful entries from your credit report
- Getting a waiver from college fee
- Earn from donating an egg
Never pay when you could save, and never spend more time on something you can resolve with less time. Join DoNotPay today to file a HUD housing application!