The King County Housing Authority will accept applications for its Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Rental Assistance Program waiting list for two weeks starting May 25 through June 7. The King County Housing Authority serves residents of King County outside of the cities of Seattle and Renton.

In Kirkland, applications for placement on the waiting list will be available at the Kirkland Library, 308 Kirkland Ave.

This opportunity allows eligible applicants to qualify for a federal rental subsidy through the Housing Choice Voucher program, which can be used in the private market. Also known as Section 8, this program is the primary means of housing assistance for low- and very-low-income people provided by King County Housing Authority.

Currently, KCHA’s Section 8 Program provides rental assistance to more than 25,000 residents in King County.

The waiting list was last opened for two weeks in 2007, when the Authority received nearly 11,000 applications to the program. Because that list is nearly exhausted, KCHA is looking to create a more current list of applicants.

As the number of Section 8 vouchers is limited, King County Housing Authority will place no more than 2,500 names on its waiting list. Successful applicants will be selected through a random drawing that will be held after June 7. Applicants not placed on the list will be notified by the Authority following the random drawing.

Applicants must qualify for a housing preference to be eligible. These preferences are:

• Households are homeless or about to become homeless;

• Families are living in substandard housing; or

• Families are spending more than 50 percent of their incomes on rent and utilities.

For information about the application process, please call the King County Housing Authority Section 8 Office at 206-214-1300. Applications will become available on May 25 and can be submitted any time during the two-week period. There is absolutely no advantage to submitting an application on the first day. For those with computer access, the application form will be available to submit or print online at www.kcha.org.

Application forms for those without computer access can be picked up at any of 11 locations listed at the conclusion of the news release. All completed applications not submitted online must be returned by mail only and postmarked by June 7 to: King County Housing Authority, Section 8, P.O. Box 58550, Seattle, WA 98138.

Applicants who receive a voucher are required to live in King County for their first year on the program.

The Section 8 Program pays rental housing subsidies – provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and managed by KCHA – to private landlords on behalf of low-income households. The subsidy allows program participants to find housing in the private rental market.  Generally, HUD pays the difference between the rent charged by a housing owner and the assisted household’s rental contribution, usually 30 to 40 percent of the household’s income.

KCHA administers a range of quality affordable rental and home-ownership programs in the Puget Sound region. The Authority serves more than 17,000 households on a daily basis.

Applications for placement on the King County Housing Authority Section 8 Rental Assistance Waiting List will also be available at the following locations:

• KCHA Section 8 Office, 15455 65th Ave. South, Tukwila

• Auburn DSHS, 810 28th St. Northeast, Auburn

• Eastside DSHS, 14360 Southeast Eastgate Way, Bellevue

• Federal Way DSHS, 616 South 348th St., Federal Way

• Kent DSHS, 1313 West Meeker St. #100, Kent

• Kent Multi-Service Center, 515 West Harrison St., Kent

• White Center DSHS, 9650 15th Ave. Southwest, Seattle

• Mt. Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. South, North Bend

• Northshore Family Center, 18315 Bothell Way Northeast, Bothell

• Shoreline Family Center, 17018 15th Ave. Northeast, Shoreline

• Spiritwood Apartments, 1424 148th Ave. Southeast, Bellevue