Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority
Waiting Lists
Learn more about Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority.
Open: Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority Public Housing
Please Note: Due to the decentralized nature of affordable housing information, the information about this waiting list may be out of date.
The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority (BMHA) is currently accepting Public Housing waiting list applications for families and senior/disabled households.
There are two ways to apply:
- Call the BMHA office at (716) 855-6774 from 8:30 am until 4:15 pm ET.
- Visit the BMHA, located at 245 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY 14222, from 8:30 am until 4:15 pm.
This waiting list has the following preferences: Displaced by government action, natural disaster, current or former employee of BMHA, or a veteran.
For more information, visit the BMHA website, or call the office at (716) 855-6711 from 8:30 am until 4:15 pm.
Reasonable Accommodation
Applicants who need help completing the application due to disability can make a reasonable accommodation request to the housing authority via 7168556711.
Next Steps
Learn more about what happens after the application is submitted.
Last Updated on 09/20/2018.
Closed: Erie County, New York Section 8 HCV
The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority (BMHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is closed.
The BMHA last accepted applications for this waiting list from July 18, 2022, until July 22, 2022. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.
To apply during the opening period, applicants were required to complete the online application.
Please note: The BMHA public notice stated, "BMHA offers kiosks at multiple locations throughout the City of Buffalo. Online applications can be made at any kiosks during the waiting list opening period. Locations for the kiosks can be found by visiting the BMHA website at www.bmhahousing.com".
This waiting list had the following preferences:
- The BMHA will offer a preference to any family that has been terminated from its HCV program due to insufficient program funding.
- BMHA will grant a Waiting List Preference in voucher allocation NY002, for persons eligible to participate in the Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) Program. Applicants eligible for NED who are referred by local services agencies that assist persons with disabilities shall be given a preference over persons on the general waiting list. Within this preference, pre-applications shall be ordered based upon the date and time of the receipt of the referral and complete pre-application. BMHA shall accept referrals and grant this preference regardless of whether the Waiting List is otherwise open or closed, based on the availability of funding for voucher allocation NY002.
4,000 applicants were placed on the waiting list by random lottery, weighed by order of preferences.
For more information, visit the BMHA website.
Sources: This information was verified by the BMHA public notice on July 17, 2022.
Service Area
This waiting list is for Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance in Erie County, New York.
Last Updated on 01/15/2023.
About Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority
300 Perry Street, Buffalo, NY | Visit Website | (716) 855-6711
Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 4,968 low and moderate income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Public Housing programs..
Housing Authority Jurisdiction
Low-income housing managed by Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority is located in Erie County, NY.
Households with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher managed by this housing authority must rent within its jurisdiction.
About the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program
As of the HUDs most recent Voucher Management System report, Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority manages 439 active Housing Choice Vouchers.
The following table summarizes types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each as of December 31st, 2021:
| Tenant Protection | Non-Elderly Disabled | |
|---|---|---|
| Vouchers | 12 | 309 |
| Monthly Cost Per Voucher | $602 | $501 |
| Monthly Cost | $7,218 | $154,897 |
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 11% having issued approximately 34 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 8 years and 6 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 40 months on the waiting list1.
Income Characteristics
According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 1.8 persons and has a household income of $13,266 per year. 96% of households were very low income (VLI) and 73% were extremely low income (ELI). 13% 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 82% 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, 35% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 29% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 36% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 4% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.
29% of households included children, 2% of which had two adults in the household. 28% of households with children have a female head of household. 74% of all households were headed by a female.
73% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 49% of all heads of households being Black and 1% being Hispanic.
Of all households participating in the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher program, 38% include at least one person with a disability. 66% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 52% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.
Bedroom Size and Overhousing
36% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 34% with 2 bedrooms and 30% with 3 or more bedrooms. 31% 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 Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority voucher holders in 2016 was $331 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $420. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $97.
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.
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