Seattle– The King County Housing Authority received almost 7,000 applications for its Section 8 Rental Assistance Program during the recent two-week period in which it reopened the waiting list. This is the largest number of applications the authority has ever received, a 33 percent increase over the number of applications received when the waiting list was last reopened in August 2000 for a similar period.

"This reflects the hard reality that housing costs continue to significantly surpass wage earnings," said Stephen Norman, executive director of the King County Housing Authority. "The dramatic increase in applications reflects an alarming shortage of affordable housing options, particularly for families at the bottom of the economic ladder."

The Section 8 Housing Choice program targets households most in need of housing in King County. Applicants must be homeless or about to become homeless, live in substandard housing or be spending more than 50 percent of their income on rent.

The Section 8 Program pays rental housing subsidies – provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and managed by KCHA – to private landlords on behalf of participating households. The subsidy allows program participants to find housing in the private rental market. Generally HUD pays the difference between the rent charged by a housing owner and the assisted household’s rental contribution, which is approximately 30-40 percent of the household’s income adjusted for family size and utility costs.

A drawing will be held sometime in July to determine each applicant’s final placement on the waiting list. Applicants at the tail end of the list could face a wait of more than five years to obtain a voucher.

Currently, KCHA’s Section 8 Program provides rental assistance to more than 6,400 families in King County. It is the largest affordable housing program serving suburban King County and works in partnership with more than 2,200 landlords.

KCHA administers a range of quality affordable rental and homeownership programs for residents of King County. The Authority serves more than 14,000 families, elderly and disabled households.