Analysis by Chris Madden
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The NorthWest Housing Authority (AR) has opened the waiting list for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program; no closing date has been identified.
Applications are available on this website:http://nwregionalhousing.org/uploads/20140902/2b5d23096f692c549e89f3a34da2968e.pdf, or can be picked up at our office: 114 Sisco Avenue Harrison, Arkansas 72602You can also call our office at 870-741-5522 and request an application be mailed to you.
The application must be mailed or hand-delivered to our office. If the application is incomplete when we receive it at our office, it will not be processed and will be returned to you to complete.Mailing address: NWRHA PO Box 2568 Harrison, AR 72602If your address changes while you are on the waiting list, you must contact the housing authority office a written statement with your new address. It is important that the housing authority has your correct mailing address; if a letter is sent to inform you that there is an opening for assistance, you only have 10 days to call the housing authority office or your name will be removed from the list and you will need to re-apply and be placed at the bottom of the list. Also, if you have any changes in your income or family composition, you must notify out office in writing. These changes may affect your placement on the waiting list.
Preferences and how the waiting list will be chosen have not been identified at this time.
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The application may be picked up in person at 114 Sisco Avenue Harrison, Arkansas 72602.
The application may be mailed to 114 Sisco Avenue Harrison, Arkansas 72602.
The application may be turned in to 114 Sisco Avenue Harrison, Arkansas 72602.
Northwest Regional Housing Authority Section 8 Voucher Waiting List is managed by Northwest Regional Housing Authority.
Northwest Regional Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 46 low- and moderate-income households through its public housing programs.
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 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.
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 Northwest Regional Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Northwest Regional Housing Authority was managing 49 Section 8 vouchers. Of the total number of vouchers managed, there were 29 households with a voucher. This represents 59% of the total voucher allotment for Northwest Regional Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 37 people living in households with a Section 8 voucher issued by Northwest Regional Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 29 households with a Section 8 voucher at the start of 2024 waited on average 8 months to receive their voucher. Of those voucher-holding households, 5 got their voucher in the last year. This represents 17 percent of voucher holders with vouchers issued by Northwest Regional 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 Northwest Regional Housing Authority Section 8 HCV program that this waiting list covers had 59% of its vouchers utilized by households with 41% unutilized at the start of 2024. This means that 20 Section 8 vouchers out of a total of 49 were in processing at the time HUD reported the data.
The average annual household income for Northwest Regional Housing Authority Section 8 Voucher holders is $14,003 The average annual income per person is $9,083 The average voucher holder earns 19% of the local Area Median Income.
Of all voucher holders, 14 (29%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 35 (71%) 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 Northwest Regional Housing Authority Section 8 program, the federal government is providing, on average, $326 per month to each household, for an average annual cost of $3,912. The program as a whole is paying landlords $9,454 per month, for an annual economic benefit to landlords of $113,448
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the Section 8 tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Northwest Regional Housing Authority Section 8 HCV programs, the average family expenditure is $336 per month or $4,032 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $9,744 per month, which is $116,928 per year.
The average total rent paid to Section 8 landlords is $662 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 $120 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 49 households with a Section 8 voucher, 18 (63%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 6 (21%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 5 (17%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 17% of Housing Choice Voucher recipients are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
25% of Northwest Regional 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.
Preferences must be verified by documents.
Have documentation ready that shows you qualify for a waiting list's preferences.Francine Harris says:
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