Single Mother Resources
Housing Choice Voucher Article
This is a selection made from among articles on Housing Choice Voucher. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for future reading, click here.
Rent Housing Assistance For Single Mothers
from: Karlie BestlerAffordable housing is one of the biggest challenges for single mothers with low incomes. There is some rental assistance for single mothers who are not able to afford an apartment on their own. One government program that offers apartment assistance for single mothers who qualify is offered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
HUD offers government help for single mothers needing rent assistance through housing choice vouchers. The Housing Choice Voucher program is more commonly known as Section 8 in reference to the portion of the U.S. Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 under which the original subsidy program was authorized. Housing choice vouchers allow very low income families to rent or purchase affordable privately owned rental housing.
The housing choice voucher program is one of the federal assistance for single mothers major program for assisting very low income families to afford safe and sanitary housing in the private housing market. Housing choice vouchers provide single mothers housing assistance which allows single mothers to find their own housing, including single family homes, townhouses and apartments.
Through this US government assistance single mothers are able to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects or other types of housing for single mothers public assistance.
The federally funded Section 8 housing program may be out of funds for some housing authorities by the end of the year. Fewer families will be able to get the aid they need. The financial crisis is causing some low rent families to pay higher rents. Some families may lose their Section 8 assistance.
The recession caused more families to lose income and need assistance. Waiting lists are long in many areas and those on the waiting list are having to wait longer to receive this government assistance single-mothers.
A few examples of how serious this problem has become:
*The New York City Housing authority has 127,825 people on its waiting list.
*Manchester, New Hampshire has over 10,000 families on its waiting list. The New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority has been forced to cut aid which forces people to pay more in rent. The alternative was cutting the program all together.
*Houston, Texas has 19,000 people on its waiting list that could mean up to a 3 year wait.
*Washington D.C. has 28,000 families on the waiting list which could mean an 8 year wait.
Related Articles for Housing Choice Voucher
Single-Mother-Assistance Online News
Housing Advocates Make An Example of Anti-Voucher Landlord
Last spring, the Equal Rights Center issued a report finding that discrimination against people receiving public assistance for housing had declined over the past five years, but remained at an unacceptable level: 45 percent of those trying to rent an apartment with a housing choice voucher reported some kind of discrimination, with 15 percent being outright rejected on account of it.
Read more...A Firebrand Media Publication
Laguna Beach’s Friendship Shelter is participating in the Orange County Housing Authority Section 8 waiting list application process, which last accepted new applicants seven years ago.
Read more...Chattanoogan.com - Chattanooga's source for breaking local news
The Chattanooga Housing Authority's Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) hosted a Landlord Fair to assist residents from Harriet Tubman Development with locating other affordable housing options.
Read more...Occupancy standards tightened for housing aid - Thu, 02 Feb 2012 PST
Changes to the Spokane Housing Authority’s housing voucher program could make for some tight living arrangements. Because of budget cuts, the agency is implementing new occupancy standards and will pay rent based on one bedroom for every two people in a home in an effort to continue to serve all clients receiving housing assistance. “If you have a family of four, you would have a two-bedroom ...
Read more...