2025-05-19
Are you looking for affordable housing in Houston? The Houston Housing Authority (HHA) has some important updates. They've pushed back the deadline for people to secure a place on the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist until 5 p.m. on June 30.
While the last chance to get onto the list for Project-Based Vouchers—affordable housing in certain apartment complexes—ended on last Friday, May 16.
Right now, there are 18,300 names on the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist, but not everyone on that list might still be looking for a home. The list is old—nearly ten years—and many details are no longer accurate.
Kenny Coles, a senior VP at HHA, said that sometimes, his team has to contact a lot of people before they find someone who can actually use a newly available voucher. Some information is outdated, people's lives change, or they might not qualify anymore.
Coles emphasized that with the high demand for housing, they don't want to waste time with outdated lists. That’s why HHA is switching to a new platform called RentCafe. But, to move to this new system, everyone has to create an account with a username and password—they can't be automatically transferred.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees programs like these, tells HHA they must keep their list fresh and get rid of old applications. Now, Coles said that people should be ready to update their contact info and confirm their interest in staying on the waitlist once every year.
If you need to save your spot, visit HousingforHouston.com, create a RentCafe account, and click "Save My Spot."
No numbers have been shared on how many have saved their spots, but the deadline was extended so more people would have time to do so. Yet, some are worried that a lot of those in need of housing might be removed from the list if they didn’t see the email from HHA or if they lack internet access or aren't familiar with computers.
To help, HHA has invited people to their office at 2640 Fountain View Dr. where they can get access to a computer and assistance if needed. Coles also mentioned that those who miss the extended deadline can still get in touch and explain their situation.
People who successfully save their spot still need to wait for a voucher to become available. The Housing Choice Voucher program was frozen for more than a year, and only those who were already promised vouchers and still looking for a home when the pause happened have been helped since the freeze lifted at the start of the year.
Check out: Everything You Need to Know Before Applying for a Property Through Section 8
-
Read about: Understanding Condemned Houses: Is Buying Possible?
Extended Deadline for Houston's Housing Voucher Waitlist
Are you looking for affordable housing in Houston? The Houston Housing Authority (HHA) has some important updates. They've pushed back the deadline for people to secure a place on the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist until 5 p.m. on June 30.
While the last chance to get onto the list for Project-Based Vouchers—affordable housing in certain apartment complexes—ended on last Friday, May 16.
Right now, there are 18,300 names on the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist, but not everyone on that list might still be looking for a home. The list is old—nearly ten years—and many details are no longer accurate.
Kenny Coles, a senior VP at HHA, said that sometimes, his team has to contact a lot of people before they find someone who can actually use a newly available voucher. Some information is outdated, people's lives change, or they might not qualify anymore.
Coles emphasized that with the high demand for housing, they don't want to waste time with outdated lists. That’s why HHA is switching to a new platform called RentCafe. But, to move to this new system, everyone has to create an account with a username and password—they can't be automatically transferred.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees programs like these, tells HHA they must keep their list fresh and get rid of old applications. Now, Coles said that people should be ready to update their contact info and confirm their interest in staying on the waitlist once every year.
If you need to save your spot, visit HousingforHouston.com, create a RentCafe account, and click "Save My Spot."
No numbers have been shared on how many have saved their spots, but the deadline was extended so more people would have time to do so. Yet, some are worried that a lot of those in need of housing might be removed from the list if they didn’t see the email from HHA or if they lack internet access or aren't familiar with computers.
To help, HHA has invited people to their office at 2640 Fountain View Dr. where they can get access to a computer and assistance if needed. Coles also mentioned that those who miss the extended deadline can still get in touch and explain their situation.
People who successfully save their spot still need to wait for a voucher to become available. The Housing Choice Voucher program was frozen for more than a year, and only those who were already promised vouchers and still looking for a home when the pause happened have been helped since the freeze lifted at the start of the year.
Check out: Everything You Need to Know Before Applying for a Property Through Section 8
-
Read about: Understanding Condemned Houses: Is Buying Possible?
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