Out of 2,600, 200 more get HUD housing help
Housing Works said Wednesday it has invited 200 households to participate in the rental assistance voucher program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Choice Voucher and Non-Elderly Disabled programs.
The federally funded programs are administered locally by Housing Works and provide much-needed rent support to Central Oregon households, the organization said.
The 200 households were randomly selected from waitlists taken in January and February.
The voucher programs currently assist a total of 1,200 households in the tri-county area – Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties.The vouchers issued will pay a portion of a family’s rent, based on gross household income.
“We are excited to provide this opportunity to those in our community who need the support,” said Kenny LaPoint, housing and resident services director for Housing Works.
“It is a tough time for low-income households in our region. Rents have been rapidly increasing over the past year, creating a greater need for this type of assistance,” LaPoint said.
Housing Works opened its Housing Choice Voucher and Non-Elderly Disabled waiting lists in January and February and received 2,599 applications.
Housing Works made invitations to 65 households near the end of 2013, bringing its 12-month waiting list draw total to 265. This is the most vouchers Housing Works has offered in a one year period since 2009.
Housing Works is the leading affordable housing provider in Central Oregon, serving Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties.
Since 1977, Housing Works has helped provide housing services to thousands of low-income families as they work to move above the poverty line.
Housing Works fulfills its mission, “Fostering Dignity through Housing,” through a variety of housing programs and affiliated Families Forward, HomeQuest and Family Self-Sufficiency programs. Currently,
Housing Works serves approximately 1,200 households through affordable housing partnerships, grant funding and federal contracts.
