Winchester Housing Authority
Winchester Housing Authority is a housing authority that participates in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program.
Winchester Housing Authority serves Winchester.
Open Winchester Housing Authority Waiting Lists
During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, some waiting list openings may be postponed until further notice. Application methods may change, as well. Visit the housing authority's website for the latest on its current operations, if one is available. If there is no information online, you can contact the housing authority directly. Office operations may be different from usual, and it may take days or weeks to get a response.
Winchester Housing Authority Phone: (781) 721-5718.
Open Until Further Notice:
Massachusetts Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List
How To Apply to the Waiting List
This housing authority participates in the Massachusetts Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Centralized Waiting List, which is a partnership between 101 of the 131 housing authorities in Massachusetts. 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 Massachusetts Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Centralized Waiting List is currently open.
This housing authority is accepting Section 8 HCV applications for this waiting list from January 6, 2003, until further notice.
There are three ways to apply during the opening period:
- Complete the online application here.
- Download and print the application online here. Click the link titled "Preliminary Application" in your native language.
- Contact a participating housing authority request an application by mail. Participating housing authority contact information can be found here.
Once the paper application has been completed, it can be mailed or hand delivered to any participating housing authority. Participating housing authority address information can be found here.
Income limit information can be found 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: Activated military personnel to Persian Gulf; Board of Health condemnation; Disabled; Displaced by hate crime or reprisal, Displaced by landlord non-renewal; Displaced by natural disaster; Displaced by public action; Displaced by domestic violence; Elderly (62+); Near elderly (55+); Extremely low income; Health disability affecting housing need; Homeless; Participant in Metro Program in Wayland school; Rent burdened 50% of income; Rent burdened 40% of income; one-person family; substandard housing; tenants of Project-Based units; clients for Project-Based units; Veteran; Working. Further explanation of each preference can be found here.
Selected applicants will be placed on the waiting list by date and time the application has been received, by order of preferences.
For more information, visit the website here, call the office at 1 (877) 868-0040, or contact a participating housing authority listed here.
Reasonable Accommodation
Applicants who need help completing the application due to disability can make a reasonable accommodation request to the housing authority via 1-877-868-0040.
Last Updated on 11/16/2021.
About Winchester Housing Authority
Representatives of Winchester Housing Authority may be available by phone at (781) 721-5718. Unless otherwise noted above, applications will not be provided or accepted by phone.
About the Winchester Housing Authority Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program
As of the HUDs most recent Voucher Management System report, Winchester Housing Authority manages 143 active Housing Choice Vouchers.
The following is a summary of the types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each as of September 30th, 2021:
|
Standard | Ported Out |
| Vouchers |
142 | 1 |
| Monthly Cost Per Voucher |
$1,325 | $1,365 |
| Monthly Cost |
$188,121 | $1,365 |
Household Characteristics of Voucher Holders for Winchester 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 7% having issued approximately 19 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 11 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 31 months on the waiting list1.
Income Characteristics
According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 2.2 persons and has a household income of $18,497 per year. 96% of households were very low income (VLI) and 75% were extremely low income (ELI). 28% of households had wages as a major source of income, 2% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 66% 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, 38% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 34% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 28% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 1% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.
33% of households included children, 7% of which had two adults in the household. 28% of households with children have a female head of household. 78% of all households were headed by a female.
28% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 16% of all heads of households being Black and -1% being Hispanic.
Of all households participating in the Winchester Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher program, 24% include at least one person with a disability. 51% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 37% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.
Bedroom Size and Overhousing
31% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 32% with 2 bedrooms and 37% with 3 or more bedrooms. 20% 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 Winchester Housing Authority voucher holders in 2016 was $449 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $1,170. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $150.
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.
