Yakima Housing Authority

810 N 6th Avenue
Yakima, Yakima County, Washington
(509) 453-3106

Yakima Housing Authority is a public housing agency in Yakima, Washington that participates in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, Family Self-sufficiency, Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing, Section 8 Project-Based Voucher, Mainstream Voucher, and Rental Assistance Demonstration programs. As of February 15th, 2019, Yakima Housing Authority has 3 waiting lists that are open now or opening soon.

The Family Housing Waiting List is open indefinitely. The Elderly/Disabled Housing Other Senior and Disabled Waiting List is open indefinitely. The Farmworker Housing Waiting List is open indefinitely.

Yakima Housing Authority serves Kittitas County and Yakima County.

About Yakima Housing Authority

HCV Portability Status

As of 12/26/2018, Yakima Housing Authority is billing for Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher port-in requests. Learn more about porting Housing Choice Vouchers to a new area here.

Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

More information about the YHA Housing Choice Voucher Section 8 program can be found here.

Public Housing Program

More information about the YHA Public Housing program can be found here.

Family Self-sufficiency Program

More information about the YHA Family Self-Sufficiency program can be found here.

Office Hours

About the Yakima Housing Authority Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of the most recent VMS report, Yakima Housing Authority manages 927 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

The following is a summary of the types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each:

Household Characteristics of Voucher Holders for Yakima 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 21% having issued approximately 40 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 5 years and 5 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 20 months on the waiting list¹.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 2.4 persons and has a household income of $13,044 per year. 92% of households were very low income (VLI) and 66% were extremely low income (ELI). 27% of households had wages as a major source of income, 8% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 63% of households had other income (Social Security, Disability or Pension) as their major source of income.

Heads of Household Characteristics

4% of households were headed by a person 24 years old or less, 53% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 19% 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.

50% of households included children, 4% of which had two adults in the household. 42% of households with children have a female head of household. 71% of all households were headed by a female.

42% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 6% of all heads of households being Black and 0% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the Yakima Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher program, 19% include at least one person with a disability. 32% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 61% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

39% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 29% with 2 bedrooms and 31% with 3 or more bedrooms. 12% 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 Yakima Housing Authority voucher holders in 2016 was $331 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $556. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $91.

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.