GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — This week through Friday, the Grand Rapids Housing Commission is accepting new applications to get on a wait list for its housing-voucher program.
Across the United States, just one in four households eligible for housing assistance like Section 8 actually makes it to the day they get a voucher.
It's the first time since 2019 that the wait list in Grand Rapids has been opened up for new families to apply. The Housing Commission says they know based on the current numbers, they won't be able to accept everyone who signs up.
“We’re going to keep 5,000 names on the waiting list. As of last night, we had 6,000 applications,” Grand Rapids Housing Commission Executive Director Lindsey Reames said.
All applicants will be entered into a lottery for a slot on the wait list. Reames estimates they could have as many as 15,000 people enter for a spot on the 5,000-person wait list.
Applications are open through Friday, Oct. 27 for eligible homes. Eligible homes are most families making 80% of the annual median income. Annual median income in Grand Rapids, according to census records, is around $55,000 a year. The Housing Commission says they primarily focus on families that make 30% of the annual median income, which is around $16,500 dollars.
Even if a family is called with good news — they've received a voucher — the journey towards affordable housing isn't over after that.
“What’s most heartbreaking is when someone comes to the top of the list, everything works the way it’s supposed to be; they’re issued a voucher, and they go out in the private market — and they’re unsuccessful in finding a unit. It’s heartbreaking to say, 'Hey, you’ve hit the lottery; here’s your voucher,' and then six months later, we have to say, 'Sorry, your time is up; you haven’t found a unit,” Reames said.
The wait list can take as little as two years, or as long as three or four years, to work through depending on housing availability and current circumstances. The Housing Commission says their greatest struggle right now is a familiar problem: skyrocketing rent prices in and around Grand Rapids.
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