Agenda - 12-02-2002-8p - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 Waiting List There are approximately 1,020 families on the current waiting list. In October 2002, the Department suspended receipt of new applications because of the anticipated lengthy wait for assistance -three to four years. The waiting list was last purged in the year 2000. The oldest application date on the waiting list is from 1993 (a family without preferences). The program presently has maintained the following Waiting List Preferences for the applicants that are: a. Involuntary displaced; b. Living in substandard housing to include homeless families; c. Paying more than 50% of their income for rent and utilities; and d. Elderly and/or Disabled. Additionally, the program has the following Local Preferences for: a. Families who live, work, or have been hired to work in the jurisdiction. b. Families who are graduates or participants in an education and training program to prepare for self-sufficiency. c. Graduates of transitional housing programs for homeless persons; substance abusers; and victims of domestic abuse. Of the 1,020 current applicant families on the waiting list: • 435 (43%) have preferential placement • 105 have the rent burden preference (>50%) • 79 have the substandard/homeless preference • 17 have the involuntarily displaced preference • 292 are elderly and/or disabled Staff Response to the October 15.2002 InterFaith Council Petition Remove the freeze from on Orange County's Section 8 Program The waiting list was closed in October 2001 because the average waiting time for current applicants on the waiting list was 4-5 years. (This was based on turnover of approximately 150- 200 families each year.) With such a massive waiting list and associated waiting period, department staff considered it unfair to continue to accept applications when rental assistance may be years away. At that time the Greensboro office of HUD was consulted and they concurred with our assessment. In retrospect, since between October 2001 and August 2002, there was no significant turnover in the program and thus no available vouchers. Therefore, we were not able to select any applicants from the waiting list for potential assistance. It has been only in the last 30 - 60 days that there has been sufficient turnover to warrant selecting applicants from the waiting list for vouchers that have become available due to participant moves and terminations.