<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><br><br><div dir="ltr">Sent from My IPhone</div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> Claudia Tasco <Claudia.Tasco@phila.gov><br><b>Date:</b> January 20, 2023 at 3:10:15 PM EST<br><b>Subject:</b> <b>FW: Housing Choice Voucher program in Philly is Reopening</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">
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<b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">How to apply for the newly reopened Housing Choice Voucher program in Philly<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Starting Monday, Jan. 23, you have two weeks to apply for rental assistance in Philadelphia. But this time,
applicants will be chosen at random.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><img width="650" height="433" style="width:6.7708in;height:4.5069in" id="Picture_x0020_1" alt="image001.jpg" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D92CE1.13973280"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">A sign indicating the availability of a home to rent stands outside a building in Philadelphia, Wednesday, June 22, 2022.Matt
Rourke / AP</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">by <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/author/savage_henry/"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none">Henry
Savage</span></a></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Published </span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jan 11, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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For the first time in 12 years, the waitlist for housing vouchers in Philadelphia will reopen for two weeks starting Jan. 23 — and this time applicants will be chosen by lottery.<o:p></o:p></p>
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Households will be able to apply through an online application at <a href="http://www.pha.phila.gov/" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#1A6AFF;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none">pha.phila.gov</span></a>. The Housing Choice Voucher program is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The vouchers pay for up to 70 percent
of a tenant’s rent. Applicants must earn less than half the median income for the area.<o:p></o:p></p>
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For the tens of thousands of Philadelphians who have been waiting to apply for rental assistance through the
<a href="http://www.pha.phila.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#1A6AFF;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none">Philadelphia Housing Authority</span></a> (PHA), this move could result in nearly 2,000 of them receiving rental assistance
in a matter of months, and another 8,000 being put on the waitlist for when more vouchers become available.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Why is this a big deal?</span></b> Because instead of the usual first come, first served approach with a long waitlist of over 50,000 households — PHA will be selecting 10,000
applications at random in a move that they say is more equitable and will allow them to work through the waitlist faster.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;text-transform:uppercase">ADVERTISEMENT<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white;vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-family:"var(--headline)",serif;color:black">Key takeaways</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"var(--headline)",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<span style="font-family:"var(--sans)",serif;color:black">Apply for housing vouchers at </span><b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="http://www.pha.phila.gov/"><span style="color:blue">pha.phila.gov</span></a></span></b><span style="font-family:"var(--sans)",serif;color:black"> during
the two-week window between </span><b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Monday, Jan. 23 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, Feb. 5 at 5:59 p.m.</span></b><span style="font-family:"var(--sans)",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l3 level1 lfo3;background:white;vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="font-family:"var(--sans)",serif;color:black">Your household must make 50% or less than the area's median income to apply. </span><b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">For a household of
four, <a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il2022/2022summary.odn" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">that’s $52,700 per year or under</span></a>.</span></b><span style="font-family:"var(--sans)",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l3 level1 lfo3;background:white;vertical-align:baseline">
<b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">PHA will select 10,000 households at random</span></b><span style="font-family:"var(--sans)",serif;color:black">. 2,000 will immediately receive housing vouchers,
while the rest will be placed on the new HCV waitlist.</span><span style="font-family:"var(--sans)",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l3 level1 lfo3;background:white;vertical-align:baseline">
<b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Applicants will be notified by</span></b><span style="font-family:"var(--sans)",serif;color:black"> </span><b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">March
1</span></b><span style="font-family:"var(--sans)",serif;color:black"> of whether they were selected or not.</span><span style="font-family:"var(--sans)",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">What is the Housing Choice Voucher program?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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The <a href="http://www.pha.phila.gov/housing/housing-choice-voucher.aspx" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#1A6AFF;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none">Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)</span></a> program — formerly known as Section 8 housing — is a federally funded rental assistance program through the
<a href="https://www.hud.gov/hcv" target="_blank"><span style="color:#1A6AFF;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none">U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development</span></a> (HUD). The program helps people with low income, disabilities,
and older adults pay for privately owned and managed housing — mostly of their choice.
<a href="https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/housing/rent-assistance-housing-voucher-pha-landlord-philadelphia-20220322.html" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#1A6AFF;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none">Almost 20,000 households already receive housing vouchers in Philadelphia</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Who it’s for</span></b>: Households that make 50% or less than the area’s median income.
<a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il2022/2022summary.odn" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#1A6AFF;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none">For a family of four in the Philly region, that’s $52,700 per year or under</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;text-transform:uppercase">ADVERTISEMENT<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">How it works</span></b>: Households pay 30% of their total monthly income on rent, and HUD will use federal funds to cover the rest.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">How to apply for the Housing Choice Voucher program<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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The application will be available on <a href="http://www.pha.phila.gov/" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#1A6AFF;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none">pha.phila.gov</span></a> from
<b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">6 a.m.</span></b>
<b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Jan. 23 to 5:59 p.m</span></b>.
<b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Feb. 5</span></b> (the application won’t appear on the homepage until Jan. 23). There is no paper or phone version.<o:p></o:p></p>
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Need help during the two-week application window? Call PHA at 215-999-3102 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. or visit the PHA main offices at 2013 Ridge Ave. in North Philly.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;text-transform:uppercase">ADVERTISEMENT<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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The application is available in Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese and Russian. Other languages are supported by using Google Translate.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Deadline to apply</span></b>: Feb. 5 at 5:59 p.m.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">What you need to apply</span></b>:<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo6;vertical-align:baseline">Phone number<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo6;vertical-align:baseline">Current address where you live or where mail can be sent<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo6;vertical-align:baseline">Household’s combined annual income<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo6;vertical-align:baseline">Head of household’s full name, date of birth and Social Security number or Alien Registration number.<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
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<span style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;text-transform:uppercase">ADVERTISEMENT<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">To apply</span></b>: Visit
<a href="http://www.pha.phila.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#1A6AFF;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none">pha.phila.gov</span></a> starting Jan. 23 (the application will appear on the homepage that day). Complete the application
before Feb. 5 at 5:59 p.m.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Why was the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist closed in Philly?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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In 2010, when the <a href="http://www.pha.phila.gov/housing/housing-choice-voucher/housing-choice-voucher-waiting-list-lottery.aspx" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#1A6AFF;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none">HCV waitlist was closed indefinitely</span></a>, there were
<a href="http://www.pha.phila.gov/media/197366/pha_opens_housing_choice_voucher_waiting_list.pdf" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#1A6AFF;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none">more than 55,000 people on the PHA waitlist for rental subsidies</span></a>, which far exceeded the number of vouchers they had at the time. In order to catch up with
the backlog of applicants, PHA closed the waitlist and hasn’t reopened it until now.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;vertical-align:baseline">
<b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Why is the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist reopening in Philly?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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Over the last decade PHA has worked through their 2010 waitlist and are now reopening it to add 10,000 new households. In order to clear through this new waitlist in a three to five-year period, PHA is going with a new selection process.<o:p></o:p></p>
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“Under this system, all applications in the lottery pool have an equal chance of being selected.” said PHA President and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “Going forward, this process will allow PHA to open the HCV waiting list more frequently, providing others in the
community a chance to apply in just a few years when the waiting list is reopened.”<o:p></o:p></p>
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