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HACLA to open Section 8 housing voucher waiting list lottery
Los Angeles Oct 05, 2022
Courtesy of HACLA(left to right)Patricia Mendoza, Assistant Director of Section 8Margarita Lares, Chief Programs OfficerJohn F. Szabo, City LibrarianDouglas Guthrie / President & CEO, Housing Authority City of Los Angeles (HACLA)Eric Garcetti, Mayor, City of Los AngelesCarlos Van Natter, Director, Section 8William Patena, Section 8 RecipientMatt Sheriff, Section 8 LandlordItzel Amezcua, Special Programs Coordinator of Section 8
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BY Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA)
On Oct. 4, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, along with other elected and community leaders, joined the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) to announce the opening of the Section 8 Waiting List Lottery. People will be able to apply online starting at 6:00 a.m., Monday, Oct 17 through 5:00 p.m., Sunday, Oct 30, by going to HACLA.hcvlist.org. The Section 8 program provides rental assistance to eligible individuals and families by paying a portion of their rent directly to private landlords.
“Today, the City of Los Angeles takes yet another big step forward in addressing our homelessness and affordable housing crisis. With more funding, programs, and innovative solutions we continue to provide those in need with the resources required to not only obtain affordable housing but maintain it,” said Garcetti. “Housing solves homelessness, that is our north star. By reopening the Section 8 waiting list, we will present thousands of our neighbors with safe and stable housing opportunities.”
Interested families and individuals can apply online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, during the application period using a smartphone, mobile device, or computer with Internet access. No applications will be handed out or accepted in person, by mail, email or fax at any HACLA office. Applicants will be required to have a valid, working email address. Free email accounts are widely available online, and free Internet access and email setup assistance are available at local Los Angeles City public libraries.
“At the Los Angeles Public Library, we welcome everyone, and we are pleased to support Angelenos in accessing affordable housing,” said City Librarian John F. Szabo. ”All 73 of our libraries have computers to help applicants get online for free. We will also offer special HACLA Ambassador-led workshops to help people fill out the online application.”
Applications can be submitted at any time during the two-week application period. Submitting an application does not guarantee that you will be selected or given a housing voucher. At the end of the application period, HACLA will use a computer-randomized lottery to select up to 30,000 applicants for placement on the Section 8 Waiting List. A preference for assistance will be given to applicants who live or work in the City of 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. As funding is available, HACLA will contact applicants for program eligibility interviews.
“It’s been five years since we last opened our Section 8 waiting list and the need for rental assistance has grown. Rental assistance programs like these fight against poverty and help reduce homelessness. Our goal, with the reopening of HACLA’s Section 8 Waiting List Lottery is to help thousands of families who are struggling financially to find stable housing,” said Douglas Guthrie, HACLA President and CEO. “We’ve ensured that the online application is convenient to access and easy to apply. There are step-by-step videos to assist applicants on how to apply and frequently asked questions that applicants may have about the program and their eligibility.”
Applicants can visit hacla.hcvlist.org to apply during the open application period and to find additional resources for partners providing application assistance. Applicants needing assistance in applying due to a disability can call (213) 523-SEC8 (7328) or (877) 621-SEC8 (7328) (toll-free), between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. every day during the application period.
