The Lycoming County Housing Authority will be opening their Section 8 waiting list May 12 in order to increase the pool of applicants. The list will then be closed on May 26 or when the list reaches 800 applications.

“I want to be clear that we’re only opening this to replace folks who leave the program through attrition. We will not be adding any extra families beyond our normal levels to the program,” said MeriLyn Severson, executive director.

“However, we need a healthy waiting list to choose from and right now we have about 430 people on that waiting list. We must select 75 percent from the extremely low tier. So out of the 430 folks that are on our waiting list, only 100 of those who reside in Lycoming County are at that extremely low income tier, so that we lose about 55 to 60 families off the program access, so that leaves us pretty close.,” she explained.

“We need to have a little bit more than 100,” she added.

Under Section 8, the housing authority offers eligible participants a Housing Choice Voucher in order to lease qualified properties in the private rental market.

The authority approved opening the list at their meeting this month.

Other actions taken at the meeting included the renewal of a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract for a period of five years, beginning in June in order to continue to provide rental assistance at Newberry Estates, 2500 Federal Avenue for six participants.

Severson explained that the authority had previously approved a one year or half payment contract with Newberry Estates.

The purpose of the one year was to see how our working relationship was with Newberry Estates and whether there was rental assistance needed there on a consistent basis,” Severson said.

She reported that the authority has consistently been able to help six rent-burdened families.

“We also have a very healthy waiting list for applicants who are interested in living and residing at Newberry Estates,” she said.

When asked why the number is remaining at six for the number of participants, Severson explained, “That was HUD’s (Housing and Urban Development) suggestion.

“These were actually rent-burdened people. When that tax credit ended at Newberry Estates, those six people were not getting any more rental assistance,” she said.

“So, HUD reached out to us and said, is there something that the housing authority can do to help these six families? So, that’s the number that HUD determined at this point,” she added.

Severson noted that she does not feel HUD will revise that number.

“We will have six project-based vouchers there, so if those rent-burdened people leave, then we can help another low income family,” she said.