A Wilmington program is helping low-income families find affordable, safe housing while also boosting the local economy by supporting small business.
The Wilmington Housing Authority is accepting applications for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program waiting list for the first time in three years. Under the program, the housing authority pays a subsidy to the landlord while the renter pays the difference. When a voucher becomes available, the housing authority gives it to those on the waiting list.
Rhonda Mack, the program director, says the housing choice vouchers don’t just benefit low-income families:
“The money that we pay out is actually to landlords, small business owners, you know, people who own maybe just one or two units or maybe ten, you know, an apartment complex. But, it’s actually money that we’re paying to small business people in this community. And that amounts to between 10 million to 11 million dollars a year that we pay out in rent to landlords. So that’s a big economic impact that we don’t even think about.”
Applications are available at the Wilmington Housing Authority’s central office at 1524 S. 16th St. in Wilmington as well as each of the authority’s public housing developments. Applications are also available on the Wilmington Housing Authority’s website: http://wha.net/Housing_Programs/HCVP/HCVP.htm.
All applications must be postmarked by August 15. On August 29, the waiting list will be selected via a randomized lottery system.
For more information, call the Wilmington Housing Authority at (910) 341-7700, extension 262.