Housing Choice Voucher Program Wait List

RUPCO, affordable housing advocate and innovative community developer in the Hudson Valley, is opening its Housing Choice Voucher Program Wait List on Monday, October 31. Applications will be available in English and Spanish through December 14. People interested in applying can download an application at www.rupco.org/hcv-ulster-county-wait-list-2016 as of Monday, October 31 or obtain a hard copy at RUPCO's Ulster County office, 289 Fair Street, Kingston. Applications can be mailed or dropped off, however no faxed or emailed applications will be accepted. The deadline for submission is December 14 at 4 p.m. The HCV Program provides rental assistance for very low-income families. Funding enables people with limited income to choose and lease safe, affordable, privately owned, rental housing. Ulster County individuals and families earning 50% or less of the area median income are eligible to apply. For a family of four to be eligible, they must have a household income of $37,950 (or less). For single people, the income threshold is $26,600. Applicants needing help completing the paperwork can attend a free Application Support Day at The Kirkland, 2 Main Street, Kingston on - Monday, October 31 from 9:30 a .m. to 3 p.m. - Monday, November 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Tuesday, December 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (RUPCO and FidelisCare are giving away free winter gear during the annual Winter Coat Drive held this day.) Bring proof of residency (driver's license or utility bill with the same address as the application). "Being placed on the Wait List doesn't guarantee receiving a Housing Choice Voucher right away," notes Vanessa Secore, Director of Rental Assistance. "Many applicants wait up to a year to receive rental assistance. Applications will be entered into a random lottery drawing to be conducted after December 14. The first 1000 applications selected from the lottery will be added to the Wait List." All applicants will be notified by mail either way whether they were selected for the Wait List or not. Letters will go out by January 31, 2017. The HCV Program, commonly referred to as Section 8, is underwritten by the Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department, and delivered through the New York State Homes and Community Development (NYS HCR). RUPCO oversees the voucher program in Ulster and Greene Counties; however, this application round is for lottery access to Ulster County vouchers only. The last time the Housing Choice Voucher Wait List was open in Ulster County was November 2014. RUPCO administers 262 Housing Choice Vouchers in Greene County, and 1697 in Ulster County. These households represent the most vulnerable populations in our communities: the elderly, seniors, the disabled, and working families.