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Biddeford Housing Authority

Open: Maine Housing Choice Voucher Centralized

This housing authority participates in the Maine Centralized Section 8 HCV Waiting List, which is a partnership between all 20 housing authorities in Maine. Applicants submit one application to apply to a centralized waiting list. Selected applicants will be placed on the centralized waiting list, and will be under consideration for every participating housing authority.

The Maine Centralized Section 8 HCV Waiting List is currently open.

The Maine Centralized waiting list will accept applications from April 2013, until further notice.

There are four ways to apply:

  1. Complete the online application here.
  2. Download and print the application online here.
  3. Contact one of the participating housing authorities to request an application by mail. Contact information for all participating housing authorities can be found here.
  4. Pick up a pre-application at the office of a participating housing authority. Address information for all participating housing authorities can be found here.

Once the application has been completed, it can be mailed, faxed or submitted in person to any participating housing authority. Contact information for all participating housing authorities can be viewed here.

The waiting list will be sorted differently by each housing authority according to its own preferences.

Participating housing authorities may have any of the following preferences: Disabled, elderly, family with minor children or dependents, where you live, veteran, displaced by natural or national disaster, chronically homeless, at where you work, non-subsidized, local full-time student, working, non-elderly or disabled single person family, Tedford Shelter resident. A full explanation of all preferences can be viewed here.

For more information, visit the website here, or contact a participating housing authority listed here.

Sources: This information was verified by the Maine Centralized page on December 28, 2022.

Reasonable Accommodation

Applicants who need help completing the application due to disability can make a reasonable accommodation request to the housing authority via one of the participating housing authorities listed here: http://mainesection8centralwaitlist.org/dup/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CWL-Participating-Housing-Authorities-REVISED-7-6-2020.pdf.

Last Updated on 12/28/2022.

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About Biddeford Housing Authority

22 South Street, Biddeford, ME (207) 282-6537

Biddeford Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 156 low and moderate income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program..

Housing Authority Jurisdiction

Low-income housing managed by Biddeford Housing Authority is located in Biddeford, ME.

Households with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher managed by this housing authority must rent within its jurisdiction.

About the Biddeford Housing Authority Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of the HUDs most recent Voucher Management System report, Biddeford Housing Authority manages 155 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

The following table summarizes types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each as of December 31st, 2021:

Standard Family Unification
Vouchers 154 1
Monthly Cost Per Voucher $661 $847
Monthly Cost $101,744 $847
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 7% having issued approximately 78 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 13 months on the waiting list1.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 1.9 persons and has a household income of $13,099 per year. 94% of households were very low income (VLI) and 73% were extremely low income (ELI). 16% of households had wages as a major source of income, 1% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 77% of households had other income (Social Security, Disability or Pension) as their major source of income.

Heads of Household Characteristics

1% of households were headed by a person 24 years old or less, 47% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 28% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 25% 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.

33% of households included children, 5% of which had two adults in the household. 29% of households with children have a female head of household. 73% of all households were headed by a female.

6% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 3% of all heads of households being Black and -1% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the Biddeford Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher program, 42% include at least one person with a disability. 64% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 76% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

54% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 28% with 2 bedrooms and 16% with 3 or more bedrooms. 6% 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 Biddeford Housing Authority voucher holders in 2016 was $331 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $2,293. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $77.

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.