Anaheim officials have extended the deadline for getting in applications for the city’s waitlist for vouchers that help with paying rent.
The city now has funding for 300 more of the vouchers, commonly referred to as Section 8 vouchers, from the federal Housing and Urban Development Department. They are administered by the Anaheim Housing Authority, which is looking to build back up the waitlist it turns to when vouchers come available.
The housing authority recently updated its waitlist, checking in with previous applicants and found many had either found housing, moved or were no longer interested for other reasons. So it opened the window last month for accepting 10,000 new applications, which were originally due April 6, but that deadline has been extended to April 14.
The city will give priority to applications received from people who live or work in town as well as veterans, said city spokeswoman Erin Ryan. Once a lottery has been held to order them on the waitlist, another lottery will be held to fill in the remaining slots up to 10,000.
“We are just shy of the 10,000 waitlist slots we looking to fill,” Ryan said, adding that applicants will be notified May 11 if they’ve been added to the list and their position.
That notification will be by email, she said, and emphasized those filling out applications need to use an email they will have access to at that future time.
Already, about 6,300 households are using vouchers from Anaheim to help pay a portion of their rent. The voucher holder is required to spend about 30% of their income on rent, and the voucher pays the rest.
Eligibility is based on an individual’s or household’s income level — for example, a family of four with a household income up to $67,750 is eligible for housing assistance.
Anaheim is one of four housing agencies in the county that administers the vouchers.
The city is providing computer access and language and other assistance with applications on weekdays during…
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