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Housing Opportunities of South West Washington

Waiting Lists

Learn more about Housing Opportunities of South West Washington.

Closed: Cowlitz, Lewis, Pacific and Wahkiakum County, Washington Section 8 HCV

The Housing Opportunities of South West Washington Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is closed. 

HOSWW last accepted applications for this waiting list from April 13, 2022, until April 14, 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.

This waiting list had the following preferences:

  • Any family that has been terminated from its HCV program due to insufficient program funding.
  • Mainstream Voucher targeted funding for families that include a non-elderly person with disabilities transitioning out of institutional and other segregated settings, or at serious risk of institutionalization, homeless, at risk of becoming homeless or previously homeless in transitional housing programs.
  • The PHA will not require Mainstream voucher participants to utilize support services as a condition for participation. Individuals may receive services from any provider of their choosing or choose not to participate in any services.
  • The PHA must allow eligible applicants to apply for the program directly through the PHA, and cannot limit vouchers only to those being referred or approved through a supportive services partner agency. The PHA cannot give preference to referred persons over applicants who apply directly through the PHA’s waiting list.
  • The PHA will provide ten (10) HCV to families or individuals referred by DCYF (a division of DSHS) according to an interagency agreement. Five (5) will be assigned to Cowlitz, and five (5) to Lewis County.
  • Transition to HCV to households participating in transitional housing programs, and that are receiving case management we partner agencies.
  • The PHA will give preference on the HCV and NED waiting lists for households participating in transitional housing programs, and that are receiving case management with partner agencies currently in active Memorandums of Understanding.
  • Presently residing in the Phoenix House that have successfully completed and graduated from a permanent supportive housing program.

Selected applicants were placed on the waiting list by date and time the application is received, weighed by order of preferences.

For more information, visit the HOSWW website.

Sources: This information was verified by the HOSWW on April 14, 2022.

Service Area

This waiting list is for Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance in Cowlitz County (except Kalama and Kelso), Lewis, Pacific and Wahkiakum County, Washington.

Last Updated on 10/11/2022.

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About Housing Opportunities of South West Washington

820 11th Avenue, Longview, WA | Visit Website | (360) 423-0140

Housing Opportunities of South West Washington provides affordable housing for up to 1,416 low and moderate income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program..

Housing Authority Jurisdiction

Low-income housing managed by Housing Opportunities of South West Washington is located in:

The Housing Authority does not serveKalama and Kelso

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

About the Housing Opportunities of South West Washington Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of the HUDs most recent Voucher Management System report, Housing Opportunities of South West Washington manages 1,351 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

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

Standard Homeownership Tenant Protection Ported Out VASH Non-Elderly Disabled
Vouchers 815 20 4 59 40 380
Monthly Cost Per Voucher $616 $537 $503 $837 $517 $525
Monthly Cost $502,192 $10,743 $2,012 $49,391 $20,663 $199,623
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 117 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 7 years0 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 19 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 $11,920 per year. 94% of households were very low income (VLI) and 71% were extremely low income (ELI). 13% of households had wages as a major source of income, 5% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 79% 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, 43% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 29% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 27% 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.

30% of households included children, 5% of which had two adults in the household. 27% of households with children have a female head of household. 74% of all households were headed by a female.

10% 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 Housing Opportunities of South West Washington Housing Choice Voucher program, 41% include at least one person with a disability. 65% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 72% 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, 41% with 2 bedrooms and 23% with 3 or more bedrooms. 28% 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 Opportunities of South West Washington voucher holders in 2016 was $304 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $575. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $115.

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.