Waitlists for the federal housing voucher program will be opening up next week in 61 of Michigan’s counties, providing low-income families with the opportunity to apply for affordable housing.
The Section 8 Housing program assists families with paying rent. Currently, more than 74,000 households in the state are waiting for assistance.
Livingston County will be the first to open its waitlist on March 22, the only county in Metro Detroit.
To be eligible for the program, applicants must meet income and family size requirements.
If selected, families are encouraged to find an apartment or home that meets health and safety approvals based on inspections. The cost of a rental unit determines how much assistance a family will receive, with households paying 30% of their adjusted gross income, including rent and utilities, the voucher covers the rest.
The average wait time for vouchers in Michigan is around two years, which is consistent with the national average. The waitlists can be attributed to a shortage of vouchers and landlords willing to accept them.
Officials do not anticipate opening up the list for Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland counties, as waitlists for Macomb and Oakland opened last year, and all three counties have enough applicants to fill vacancies.
Applications can be found online and will be accepted through April 5th.
For more information or to apply once the application is open, visit the Michigan housing voucher program website by clicking here.