A federally funded program that helps low-income people with housing costs in Rochester has reopened the waiting list for new applications. That began as of Monday, and the list will close at midnight on September 26th.
This is the first time the Section 8 program has accepted new applications since 2009.
Chairman of the Rochester Housing Authority Board of Directors, George Moses, says the idea is to have this list open on a more predictable timetable.
“We have a process going forward, that you can have some predictability in, you’re not going to be on a waiting list for almost a decade; we’re going to go through this first waiting list, it doesn’t matter if you applied today, or before the 26th, we’re going to do a random process; we have 3,000 open seats, we’re encouraging folks to apply, we’re going to have a random process for picking folks.”
Moses, says this program is critical, especially in a city where the poverty rate is so high.
“If you’ve had a family who’s been struggling, with being able to pay their rent, we know the numbers here in Rochester, so we know our poverty numbers, these aren’t new. So giving folks a hand to help with housing, we know the importance of housing in terms of education, in terms of hope, in terms of everything for their family.”
Moses says it's an extremely popular program, with just over a thousand people on the waiting list previously. Housing officials will now accept up to 3,000 new applications.
Applications can only be submitted through the Rochester Housing Authority website at:
www.rochesterhousing.org. Those who are unable to access the website can all RHA's Housing Choice Vocher Waiting List call center at 585-697-6114 or emailing: waitinglist@rochesterhousing.org
