Pittsburgh’s housing authority will open its Section 8 voucher waiting list today for the first time since 2018.
Applications can be submitted online beginning at 8 a.m. and will be accepted until Friday, March 15 at 11:59 p.m.
There is no one on the waiting list currently, which is why it is being opened for new applicants, housing authority officials said.
The Housing Choice Voucher program, commonly known as Section 8, aids low-income tenants in covering a portion of their rent in a privately owned rental unit. The agency administers more than 5,000 vouchers.
There is no fee to apply to the program.
However, getting a voucher doesn’t guarantee a person will be able to find a landlord that will accept it, particularly as rents rise. Both the city and county housing authorities have revised their payment standards to be able to pay more in rent for units in certain low-poverty neighborhoods.
Pittsburgh’s voucher program has also come under fire for administrative problems and delays; officials have blamed staffing problems. In October the agency approved a contract to help improve the program.
For additional information, call the HACP Occupancy Department at 412-456-5030 or see hacp.org.
