About Housing Works

The Housing Works is a Section 8 and Public Housing Public Housing Agency in Redmond, Oregon.

The Housing Works serves Deschutes County, Crook County, Jefferson County, Bend, Redmond, Sisters, La Pine, Prineville and Madras.

Housing Works Waiting Lists

Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson County, Oregon Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List: Closed

The Housing Works (HW) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently closed. It was last open for five days in January 2017; and prior to that for five days in January 2016, and in 2015. 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.

This waiting list has the following preferences: Residents of Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson County, OR.

Applicants were placed on the waiting list by random lottery, after sorting preferences.

For more information, visit the HW website, or call the office at (541) 923-1018.

Last Updated on 01/14/2017.

About the Housing Works Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of the most recent VMS report, Housing Works manages 1,193 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 838 17 39 11 67 202
Monthly Cost Per Voucher $543 $443 $624 $678 $431 $470
Monthly Cost $455,317 $7,523 $24,326 $7,458 $28,849 $95,040

Household Characteristics of Voucher Holders for Housing Works

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 12% having issued approximately 100 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 7 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 9 months on the waiting list1.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 2.1 persons and has a household income of $13,705 per year. 89% of households were very low income (VLI) and 61% were extremely low income (ELI). 27% 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 65% 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, 51% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 24% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 24% 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.

39% of households included children, 6% of which had two adults in the household. 33% of households with children have a female head of household. 74% of all households were headed by a female.

9% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 2% of all heads of households being Black and 0% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the Housing Works Housing Choice Voucher program, 27% include at least one person with a disability. 49% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 58% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

22% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 44% with 2 bedrooms and 34% with 3 or more bedrooms. 32% 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 Housing Works voucher holders in 2016 was $368 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $662. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $113.



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.