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4 <br />Waiting fist <br />Why Closed? <br />In October 2001, the Department suspended receipt of new Section 8 applications because <br />of the anticipated lengthy wait for assistance -three to four years based on a turnover rate <br />of approximately 25% per year. With such a massive waiting list and associated waiting <br />period, department staff considered it unfair to continue to accept applications when rental <br />assistance may be years away. At that time the Greensboro Office of HUD was consulted <br />and they concurred with our assessment.. <br />Between October 2001 and August 2002, there was no significant turnover in the program <br />and thus no available vouchers. In other words, clients did not leave the program to "free <br />up" a voucher for another client's use. Therefore, we were not able to select any applicants <br />from the waiting list far potential assistance during that time. The program did begin to <br />experience turnover in September 2002 and we began making selections from the waiting <br />list. <br />Why not purge? <br />The waiting list was last purged in the Fall 2000. It is customary that most housing <br />authorities purge the list every two -three years. Since the County has not accepted <br />applications for the past 20 months last year, we essentially have athree-year-old waiting <br />list. It is anticipated that it would be disastrous to purge the list with a closed waiting list <br />thereby not allowing applicants an opportunity to reapply for assistance should they be <br />purged from the list. Therefore, logistically, purging should occur at a time that the waiting <br />list is open. Thus, purging the waiting list will be re-examined at the time of waiting list <br />review - at the end of the fiscal year. <br />In the interim, we have been making selections from the list as people have left the program <br />and new vouchers have become available. Waiting list selection is essentially a form of <br />purging since those persons are removed from the list. Since September 2002, <br />approximately 543 applicants have been selected from the list, thus the current waiting list <br />totals 494. <br />Waiting List Selection <br />Selections are made from the waiting list according to date and time of application and <br />preference ranking. <br />The program presently has maintained the following Waiting List Preferences for the <br />applicants that are: <br />a. Involuntary displaced; <br />b, Living in substandard housing to include homeless families; <br />c. Paying more than 50% of their income for rent and utilities; and <br />d. Elderly and/or Disabled, <br />