Denver Housing Authority, Denver, Colorado

About Denver Housing Authority

The Denver Housing Authority is a Section 8 and Public Housing Public Housing Agency in Denver, Colorado.

The Denver Housing Authority serves Denver County and Denver.

Denver Housing Authority Waiting Lists

Denver County, Colorado Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List: Closed

The Denver Housing Authority (DHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher lottery is currently closed. It was last open for two days in September 2016; and prior to that for two days inin September 2015, and for two days in September 2014.

To apply during the opening period, applicants were required to complete the online application.

Please note: The DHA does not operate a waiting list for its Section 8 program. Applicants will be given a random lottery number. Lottery selections to distribute vouchers will occur at unspecified dates throughout the year. Lottery winners will be posted on the DHA website. Once the lottery reopens each year, all lottery numbers reset. Applicants who receive a lottery number must re-apply during next year's opening.

Important note: Applicants who have been placed on the waiting list must inform the housing authority immediately if your application information changes (such as contact information, income, and household members). In the case that the office sends a notice that does not get returned, or if application information is out of date, your name may be terminated from the waiting list. Contact the housing authority to find out how to update application information.

For more information, visit the DHA website, or call the office at (720) 932-3000 from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm, Monday-Friday.

Last Updated on 04/17/2017.

Public Housing Waiting List: Closed

The Denver Housing Authority (DHA) is not accepting Public Housing interest cards at this time. This waiting list was last open for families, disabled families, non-elderly disabled persons, and elderly families, and elderly persons for 10 days in April 2017. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.

Please note:

According to the DHA, to apply to the family properties, the household must have been "a family with children."

A complete list of each Public Housing community can be found here.

To apply during the opening period, applicants were required to complete the online application.

For more information, visit the DHA website, or call the office at (720) 932-3000 from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm MT, Monday-Friday.

Last Updated on 04/26/2017.

About the Denver Housing Authority Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of the most recent VMS report, Denver Housing Authority manages 5,984 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

The following is a summary of the types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each:

	Standard	Homeownership	Tenant Protection	Ported Out	VASH	Non-Elderly Disabled
Vouchers	4,624	23	248	767	254	42
Monthly Cost Per Voucher	$1,040	$840	$696	$1,022	$620	$863
Monthly Cost	$4,808,878	$19,313	$172,485	$784,211	$157,450	$36,239

Household Characteristics of Voucher Holders for Denver Housing Authority

Waiting List and Tenancy

According to the 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households database, the housing authority's voucher program has an annual turnover of 8% having issued approximately 691 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 8 years and 8 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 14 months on the waiting list¹.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 2.5 persons and has a household income of $13,433 per year. 96% of households were very low income (VLI) and 81% were extremely low income (ELI). 32% of households had wages as a major source of income, 6% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 55% of households had other income (Social Security, Disability or Pension) as their major source of income.

Heads of Household Characteristics

2% of households were headed by a person 24 years old or less, 53% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 23% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 22% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 2% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.

49% of households included children, 6% of which had two adults in the household. 43% of households with children have a female head of household. 74% of all households were headed by a female.

78% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 46% of all heads of households being Black and 1% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the Denver Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher program, 20% include at least one person with a disability. 31% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 73% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

32% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 32% with 2 bedrooms and 36% with 3 or more bedrooms. 15% of voucher recipients are considered overhoused, meaning they occupy a rental unit larger than their family size requires.

Rent, Assistance, and Utility Allowances

The average monthly tenant contribution to rent by Denver Housing Authority voucher holders in 2016 was $344 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $959. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $137.

1. This Picture of Subsidized Households data field is the average wait time of those who received a voucher in the preceding 12 months. Due to special voucher programs like VASH, recent waiting list purges, or waiting list preferences the average wait time can vary significantly from one year to the next and it is entirely possible many current applicants on the waiting list have been waiting for assistance for far longer.

Public Housing Operated by Denver Housing Authority