About South Metro Housing Options

The South Metro Housing Options is a Section 8 and Public Housing Public Housing Agency in Littleton, Colorado.

The South Metro Housing Options serves Arapahoe County and Littleton.

South Metro Housing Options Waiting Lists

South Metro Housing Options Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List: Closed

Please note: South Metro Housing Options covers Arapahoe County, CO, and also administers Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers through the Colorado Division of Housing.
The South Metro Housing Options (SMHO) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently closed. It was last open for one day only in June 2015. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.

There were two ways to apply during the opening period:

  1. Visit the SMHO office in person to pick up a pre-application.
  2. Download the pre-application online, then print and complete.
Once the application has been completed, it could be mailed or hand delivered to the SMHO. Mailed pre-applications must have been postmarked on June 19, 2015.

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 In the case that the office sends a notice that does not get returned, or if application information is out of date, your name may be terminated from the waiting list.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 SMHO website, or call the office at (303) 794-9608 during normal office hours.

Last Updated on 04/05/2016.

About the South Metro Housing Options Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of the most recent VMS report, South Metro Housing Options manages 245 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

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

Standard Ported Out
Vouchers 219 26
Monthly Cost Per Voucher $679 $834
Monthly Cost $148,628 $21,680

Household Characteristics of Voucher Holders for South Metro Housing Options

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 3% having issued approximately 148 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 9 years and 1 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 24 months on the waiting list1.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 2.4 persons and has a household income of $14,269 per year. 98% of households were very low income (VLI) and 81% were extremely low income (ELI). 29% of households had wages as a major source of income, 3% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 64% of households had other income (Social Security, Disability or Pension) as their major source of income.

Heads of Household Characteristics

0% of households were headed by a person 24 years old or less, 42% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 24% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 34% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 5% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.

38% of households included children, 11% of which had two adults in the household. 29% of households with children have a female head of household. 70% of all households were headed by a female.

48% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 37% of all heads of households being Black and 1% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the South Metro Housing Options Housing Choice Voucher program, 21% include at least one person with a disability. 42% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 50% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

38% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 33% with 2 bedrooms and 29% with 3 or more bedrooms. 14% 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 South Metro Housing Options voucher holders in 2016 was $364 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $1,470. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $90.



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.