Analysis by Vanea Gardner
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Guntersville Housing Authority (GHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently open until further notice.Guntersville, AL is about 70 miles northeast of Birmingham, AL.To apply, visit the GHA to pick up a pre-application, located at 1205 Wyeth Dr., Guntersville, AL 35976, from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm CT, Monday-Friday.Once the pre-application has been completed, it must be hand delivered to the address listed above, from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.Be sure to include these documents with the pre-application: Social Security Cards and birth certificates for all household members, proof of all income, and photo IDs for all adult household members.The GHA does not have a preference.Qualified applicants will be placed on the waiting list by the date and time the pre-application is received.Important note: Applicants will receive a confirmation number when either applying, or being placed on the waiting list, depending on housing authority policy. It is important to keep that number in a safe, easy to access place. It will be needed any time when referencing your pre-application with the housing authority.If any of your application information changes from the time you submitted the original pre-application (such as contact information, income, and household members), inform the housing authority immediately. In the case that the office sends a notice that does not get returned, or if application information is out of date, your name may be terminated from the waiting list. Please contact the housing authority to find out its policy on updating pre-application information.For more information, call the GHA office at (256) 582-4331 from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
Let's Discuss Guntersville Housing Authority Section 8 Voucher
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The application may be completed in person at 1205 Wyeth Dr, Guntersville, AL 35976.
Guntersville Housing Authority Section 8 Voucher Waiting List is managed by Guntersville Housing Authority.
Guntersville Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 524 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Guntersville, Alabama.
After applying, it's a good practice to keep a record of any application that you submit. This will help you keep track of your application, and is especially useful if you apply to multiple waiting lists. You can do this easily with a document on your computer or mobile device, and also with a notebook or piece of paper.
Make sure to write down your application or confirmation number with the application details. This number will be important to reference in the future. Once you have this information written, keep it stored in a place that's easy to access when you need it.
With this information safely stored, all you have left to do is wait to find out if you've been selected for the waiting list.
Depending on the area, it may take weeks or even months to know if you've been selected for the waiting list. Your wait for an announcement is usually the longest in areas with large populations and a high demand for housing assistance.
Check if the public notice states when the housing authority plans to announce the results, or how long it may take to review applications. Contact the housing authority if this information isn't available.
Once all applications are reviewed, the housing authority will either contact everyone who has been placed on the waiting list, or message everyone who applied to check their results.
The housing authority will use the contact information you give in the application to reach you (usually by mail, email, or phone). For this reason, it is very important to put valid contact information on your application. Make sure you keep your contact information up to date, and that you respond quickly if any further action is required.
If you don't get contacted by the housing authority, it might mean that you were not chosen for the waiting list. Sometimes, housing authorities do not contact applicants who were not placed on the waiting list. Check with the housing authority for confirmation.
To check your status on the waiting list, you usually have to log into an online portal, call a phone number, or visit the office. Each housing authority has different ways for you to check your status.
Some housing authorities will give your spot on the waiting list, but others might only confirm that you're still on the waiting list. Make sure that you have your application or confirmation number with you when checking your status.
To update your waiting list application, you usually have to log into an online portal, call a phone number, or submit a form to the office. Each housing authority has different ways for you to update your application.
Make sure that you have your application or confirmation number with you when updating your application.
You can apply for a waiting list that is open until further notice while it stays open for an unknown period of time. Usually, the housing authority is accepting applications until the waiting list closes, but some of these waiting lists never close.
To apply in person, a paper form must be completed at a location set by the housing authority. This place may be a housing authority office, local government building, or another location that is helping with the waiting list opening.
To pick up an application, you must visit a location set by the housing authority to pick up a paper form. This place may be a housing authority office, local government building, or another location that is helping with the waiting list opening. The application must be completed and sent back to the housing authority according to their instructions.
To request an application by mail, you must send a written letter by mail that asks the housing authority to send you an application. The housing authority will offer at least one way to get an application, usually by mail, email, or fax. The application must be completed and sent back to the housing authority according to their instructions.
A waiting list sorted by date and time orders applicants who are selected for the waiting list by the date and time the housing authority receives the application. Those who apply earlier will generally be placed higher on the waiting list.
If you are considering applying for a voucher, you may be interested to know who already has a voucher, and what the households tend to look like. Fortunately, we can provide some helpful statistics using HUD's 2023 Picture of Subsidized Households. The following data describes the economic and demographic characteristics of renters who have a Section or project-based voucher issued by Guntersville Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Guntersville Housing Authority was managing 174 Section 8 vouchers. Of the total number of vouchers managed, there were 162 households with a voucher. This represents 93% of the total voucher allotment for Guntersville Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 260 people living in households with a Section 8 voucher issued by Guntersville Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 162 households with a Section 8 voucher at the start of 2024 waited on average 5 months to receive their voucher. Of those voucher-holding households, 26 got their voucher in the last year. This represents 16 percent of voucher holders with vouchers issued by Guntersville Housing Authority.
Though Section 8 voucher programs are over-subscribed across the nation with all programs having a waiting list, each month, each housing agency managing vouchers has vouchers that are not issued to renters. This can result from turnover in the program if someone with a voucher buys a home, sees an increase in their income, passes away, or otherwise discontinues the use of their voucher.
The time it takes to transfer voucher funding from one recipient to another can be many months. Managing the Section 8 waiting list, qualifying new voucher holders, and approving new homes or apartments takes time. In addition, in some areas, there is an extreme housing shortage or landlords may refuse to rent to persons using a Section 8 voucher to pay their rent. This results in longer than usual ramp-up times for new voucher holders.
The Guntersville Housing Authority Section 8 HCV program that this waiting list covers had 93% of its vouchers utilized by households with 7% unutilized at the start of 2024. This means that 12 Section 8 vouchers out of a total of 174 were in processing at the time HUD reported the data.
Of the 162 Section 8 voucher-holding households with the Guntersville Housing Authority, 42 have at least one child. There are 3 two-parent households in the Guntersville Housing Authority voucher program, and 38 single-parent households. There were 42 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Guntersville Housing Authority Section 8 Voucher holders is $15,188 The average annual income per person is $9,639 The average voucher holder earns 29% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 6 | 4% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 15 | 9% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 63 | 39% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 42 | 26% |
| $20,000+ | 34 | 21% |
Of all voucher holders, 44 (25%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 125 (72%) voucher-holding households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program pays 70% of the cost of rent plus utilities for any household receiving the housing assistance.
For the Guntersville Housing Authority Section 8 program, the federal government is providing, on average, $388 per month to each household, for an average annual cost of $4,656. The program as a whole is paying landlords $62,856 per month, for an annual economic benefit to landlords of $754,272
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the Section 8 tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Guntersville Housing Authority Section 8 HCV programs, the average family expenditure is $383 per month or $4,596 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $62,046 per month, which is $744,552 per year.
The average total rent paid to Section 8 landlords is $771 per month which includes payment contributed by both tenant households and the federal government. This is a program-wide rent average across all bedroom size rentals.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $166 per month. It is important to note this is not the actual cost renters will pay for utilities, but an estimate based on the energy cost estimates of the program.
Of the 174 households with a Section 8 voucher, 28 (17%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 97 (60%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 37 (23%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 56% of Housing Choice Voucher recipients are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
16% of Guntersville Housing Authority Section 8 HCV program households have a minority head of household who is Black, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander; or of Hispanic ethnicity.
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 5 | 3% |
| 25-50/td> | 40 | 25% |
| 51-61 | 40 | 25% |
| 62-84 | 74 | 46% |
| 85 or Older | 2 | 1% |
Housing options for families with immigrants.
If the head of household is a citizen or eligible immigrant, you can still qualify for HUD programs with a citizenship requirement.Kim Eatmon says:
"Affordable Housing Online is a great way to see what’s available for low income housing."