Decision on Housing Choice Voucher eligibility criteria expected in April

SEATTLE—March 21, 2008—Eligibility criteria for Housing Choice Voucher applicants has been the subject of several community meetings over the past two months. The Housing Authority is considering changing its criteria so that applicants who have been incarcerated for certain crimes would be eligible to receive a voucher after a 12 month waiting period. This new standard could help more homeless people secure housing. Seattle Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners will likely vote on the proposal at their meeting on April  21.

Lottery for Housing Choice Voucher waiting list begins March 25

SEATTLE—March 20, 2008—Beginning on March 25, Seattle Housing Authority is conducting a mail-in lottery to establish a new waiting list for the popular Housing Choice Voucher program, also known as Section 8. The goal of the lottery is to add at least 4,000 names to the new list. The lottery will be open for two weeks, and lottery sign-up forms must be postmarked by April 8. Forms can be picked up at libraries, community centers and other locations throughout Seattle, as well as on seattlehousing.org, beginning March 25.

Seattle Housing Authority working with City  on Fort Lawton reuse planning

SEATTLE—March 12, 2008—The Seattle Housing Authority has been chosen by the City of Seattle to direct community planning activities related to the reuse of the Fort Lawton army base adjacent to Discovery Park in Magnolia. The 30-acre site will be vacated by the army over the next several years. The process is controlled by Base Realignment and Closure regulations, which favor the inclusion of housing for homeless people in the reuse plan. The planning process, which includes working with community stakeholders in Magnolia, will take place over the next six months with the goal of developing a plan by next fall.

The Job Connection celebrates successes

SEATTLE—March 5, 2008—Because employment is such a critical success factor for helping residents to gain self-sufficiency, the Seattle Housing Authority operates The Job Connection, a job placement and counseling service. Results for 2007 show that The Job Connection succeeded in securing 242 job placements last year. At the same time, the average hourly wage for these placements increased by six percent, from $11.70 to $12.39 per hour. Most placements were for full time work, and most (83 percent) included benefits.