Bremerton Housing Authority Will Close Section 8 Waiting List
January 7th, 2010 by Rachel PritchettBloggers,
Some 1,400 families and individuals are on the list, all with hopes of getting Section 8 vouchers to help them with rent. That’s a seven-year waiting list, too long to make much difference in this recession.
The list closes at 4 p.m. Jan. 29.
See my story soon.
Rachel Pritchett, 475-3783
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
January 7th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Why in God’s name would an organization decide to throw over a thousand people out to the streets? That is where I am heading now. I feel sorry for the organizations who are refusing to help the people they are supposed to be there for. Ya! Ya! I know the story, budget cuts, budget cuts! Enough!! These are non-profit organizations and I actually worked for one in another state until the executive director got nailed for financial corruption and workplace harassment. Where are the common sense decisions to actually help people who are struggling. Really struggling! Oh, I forgot, the world does not deal with common sense anymore. Yes, I am being sarcastic! I am upset! I do not want pity for my problems, especially knowing I am one of thousands here in the same situation. I moved here from out of state last year with just a carload of things to be near my son and his young family and lived with them until recently. We all had to move quickly due to sale of the house. I finally found a part time job, despite my disabilities and am struggling daily with the chronic pain of them. I am a survivor of domestic and sexual violence, lost many close family members, have been through hell and back and refuse to let people tell me to just give up. I cannot believe I have to actually be living on the street for anyone to help me! Although, there are a few churches willing to listen and help in small ways. Amazing, when everyone is so worried about people talking in public about God, in songs or written anywhere. My faith and love for God, my friends and family have kept me alive literally all these years. All I ask is a little help to get through the next couple of months. They cut my hours at work and I need to find a disability friendly job soon. I refuse to give up and listen to people at DSHS telling me I am just a waste of their time and money anymore. No more! I want to work!I love to work! I have no choice if I want to survive. I don’t even have a bed. I just need a job that pays my rent and bills.
January 7th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Let me try to add clarity to this issue. No one is being thrown out into the streets. BHA periodically stops accepting applications for the voucher program when the wait for assistance becomes longer than 4 years.
Funding for the Section 8 program comes from federal funds allocated to BHA by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Funding has not been cut. The funds we have been given will support approximately 2000 households with rental assistance. We are, and have been for many years, at 100% utilization of these funds.
Since there are more households that would like to have rental assistance than we are able to help, we use a waiting list to manage the demand. When the wait is over 4 years, BHA stops accepting applications for a period of time.
When one of the 2,000 households receiving rental assistance no longer needs that assistance, we go to the next name at the top of the waiting list and issue that applicant the next available voucher.
When we temporarily stop accepting applications on January 29, 2010, we expect there will be about 1500 applicants, most of which have been waiting for rental assistance from BHA for 2 to 5 years. Our desire is to bring the waiting period down to a more reasonable time before we start accepting applications again. If we keep the list open indefinately, we are giving applicants false hope that we can assist them immediately. We do not believe this is fair or appropriate.
I wish there was a more efficient way to administer the scare resources we have been given. However, the reality is that demand for rental assistance far exceeds the supply of funds allocated to us. Until more funding is granted, we do the best we can by ensuring that those that receive rental assistance follow program guidelines and encourage them to take advantage of our programs leading to economic self-sufficiency.
Feel free to contact me at kwiest@bremertonhousing.org if there are questions or concerns about how we administer these funds.
Thank you,
Kurt Wiest
Executive Director
Bremerton Housing Authority
(360) 616-7240
January 7th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Anyone familiar with HUD funded programs, such as the Section 8 program run by the Bremerton Housing Authority, is aware of the administrative onus that operating the programs comes with. Accepting new applicants to the waiting list and maintaining the waiting list for the Section 8 program requires a significant amount of staff time and administrative resources. The time and resources have to be paid for with money from already limited budgets. Closing the waiting list does not turn anyone out on the streets. It is my understanding that the 1,400 people currently on the list will keep their spot on the list and will receive subsidy as it becomes available either through current Section 8 participants graduating from the program or from new sources of funding. As required by HUD, when the number of people on the waiting list reduces, a public notice will be made that the list will be reopened and at that time people can apply to be added to the waiting list.
The Bremerton Housing Authority administers the Section 8 programs, as well as several other critical housing assistance programs within our community, in a manner that is responsible to the taxpayers, fair and respectful to the participants (and those waiting to be participants) and engaged in the community. The orgainization should be recognized and commended for the good work that they continue to do, especially during these times of particular need.