Local households that need assistance with rent have two opportunities to apply for help in the coming weeks.
Both the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority (CRHA) and the Albemarle County Office of Housing (ACOH) will open their housing choice voucher program waitlists in April. People have just a few days to apply.
The program, administered by the U.S. Office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), gives vouchers to pay for a portion of a family or individual’s rent, depending on their income.
Who can apply? Households with a maximum income of 50% of area median income. (Here’s more about how AMI is calculated.) The top income limits this year are for households with:
- 1 person that has an income of $36,700
- 2 people, $41,950
- 3 people, $47,200
- 4 people, $52,400
- 5 people, $56,600
- 6 people, $60,800
- 7 people,s $65,000
- 8 people, $69,200
While any household within these limits can apply, CRHA will reserve three-quarters of its vouchers for families with an income of 30% AMI or lower. They are also taking applications from people who live or work in Charlottesville or Albemarle County, while Albemarle County’s program is only taking applicants for people who live there.
There is a limited number of total vouchers available, and not everyone who applies will receive a voucher — or even a spot on the waitlist. Further, a spot on the waitlist does not guarantee a voucher, or a place to live.
If you need rental assistance, you can apply to Charlottesville’s voucher program using their online portal from Monday, April 3 at 9 a.m. to Friday, April 7 at 4 p.m. Albemarle County’s online portal will accept applications from Thursday, April 6 at 10 a.m. through Thursday, April 13 at 4 p.m.
Here is a printable PDF from CHRA that also has more about how to get help. Here is more from Albemarle County. The County’s website also offers a comprehensive list of documents to prepare before sitting down to complete an application. Neither application is available to view online before the applications open, so having all of the documents ready will help with the process.
Charlottesville Tomorrow is reporting on the housing voucher program to help better understand how it works — and doesn’t work — for the community. If you have gone through this process yourself, or know someone who has, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us through this form or leave a message at (434) 218-3649 and we’ll get back to you.
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