Over 223,000 Section 8 housing lottery waitlist applications under review: HACLA
Thousands apply for Section 8 wait list on 1st day
It's a sobering look at the desperate need for affordable housing in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES - The application deadline for Los Angeles' Section 8 housing waitlist lottery is now closed and all those submitted are currently under review.
Following a two-week period of accepting applications, a total 223,375 applications were received, representing 505,946 total household members, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) said Monday.
That's a nearly 19% increase in applications submitted from the previous opening five years ago, officials said.
"The significant increase in applications highlights the growing number of individuals and families needing housing assistance which outpaces the federal funds available for rental assistance," officials said in a statement. "We’ve been working hard with our community partners to spread the word, but now the real work begins as we prepare to get selected applicants placed and, ultimately, housed."
HACLA will now use a computer-randomized lottery to select up to 30,000 applicants for placement on the waitlist. A preference for assistance will be given to applicants who live or work in Los Angeles and to applicants who are veterans or have a household member who is a veteran released from such military service under conditions other than dishonorable.
By Dec. 1, all applicants will receive an email to inform them whether or not they were selected to be placed on the Section 8 Waiting List.
Those who are lucky enough to be selected for the rent assistance program will have 180 days to secure a housing unit. After the 6-month period, an unused voucher will be returned to the lottery so it can be given to someone else on the waiting list.
Applicants may also check their status at hacla.hcvlist.org or by calling (877) 621-SEC8 (7328)/TTY 711 after this date.