SEATTLE—July 20, 2004—Low-income Seattle residents can now apply for housing assistance with a few clicks of a computer mouse. As of July 5, 2004, the Seattle Housing Authority is accepting applications for public housing and senior housing online.
Applicants can use the online application to place their names on the waiting lists for Low Income Public Housing, the Seattle Senior Housing Program, and other housing programs. Applicants will not be able to apply for the Housing Choice Voucher Program (also known as Section 8), because this waiting list remains closed.
Seattle Housing Authority’s online application is one of the most sophisticated and easy-to-use systems offered by housing authorities nationwide.
“We’re excited about the new online application system because it will make it easier and simpler for our computer-literate customers to apply,” said Kathy Roseth, director of SHA’s PorchLight Housing Center. “It will also allow us to do our job more efficiently and accurately.”
Roseth noted that the online application will also make it easier for advocates and other service providers to help their customers apply for housing.
It collects the same information as the traditional paper application, and takes about 15 minutes to complete. Users can save partially completed applications and finish them later if necessary.
The new online application will not replace the traditional paper application form. Applicants can still apply with the familiar paper form, which is available in six languages.