Seattle - King County Housing Authority will accept applications for its Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Rental Assistance Program waiting list for two weeks starting Wednesday, April 26 and ending Tuesday, May 9.

This opportunity allows eligible applicants to qualify for a rental subsidy, through the Housing Choice Voucher program, which can be used in the private market. Also known as Section 8, this program is the primary means of housing assistance for low- and very-low-income people provided by King County Housing Authority. Currently, KCHA’s Section 8 Program provides rental assistance to more than 15,712 residents in King County.

The waiting list has been closed since June 2002, when the Authority received nearly 7,000 applications to the program. Because remaining names on the previous waiting list are nearly four years old, KCHA is looking to create a more current list of applicants. Applicants from the existing list will automatically be included on the new list upon application.

Those wishing to apply may download an application at at www.kcha.org or pick up an application packet at one of the following 12 locations:

Section 8 Office 15455 65th Avenue South, Tukwila
Auburn DSHS 2707 " I " Street Northeast, Auburn
Bellevue DSHS 14360 Southeast Eastgate Way, Bellevue
Federal Way DSHS 616 South 348th Street, Federal Way
Federal Way Multi-Service Center 1200 South 336th, Federal Way
Kent DSHS 1313 West Meeker Street #100, Kent
Kent Multi-Service Center 515 West Harrison Street, Kent
Mt. Si Senior Center 411 Main Avenue South, North Bend
Northshore Family Center 18315 Bothell Way Northeast, Bothell
Shoreline Family Center 17018 15th Avenue Northeast, Shoreline
Spiritwood Apartments 1424 148th Avenue Southeast, Bellevue
White Center DSHS 9650 15th Avenue Southwest, Seattle

Because resources of the Section 8 program are limited, King County Housing Authority will place no more than 2,500 names on its waiting list. Successful applicants will be selected through a random drawing that will be held after May 9. Applicants not placed on the list will be notified by the Authority following the random drawing. Applicants must qualify for a housing preference to be eligible. These preferences are:

Households are homeless or about to become homeless (through no fault of their own);
Families are living in substandard housing; or
Families are spending more than 50 percent of their incomes on rent and utilities.

For information about the application process, please call the King County Housing Authority Section 8 Office at (206) 214-1300.

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 low-income 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, usually 30 to 40 percent of the household’s income adjusted for family size.

KCHA administers a range of quality affordable rental and homeownership programs for residents of King County. The Authority serves more than 17,000 households, including families, the elderly and disabled households.