Analysis by Nathan Brunet
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
This waiting list is for Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental housing assistance in Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Blount, Campbell, Carroll, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Crockett, Decatur, Dekalb, Dyer, Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Grainger, Hamblen, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, Macon, Marshall, McNairy, Monroe, Moore, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Putnam, Roane, Scott, Sevier, Smith, Stewart, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, Weakley and White County, Tennessee.
The Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list for Area 1 is currently closed. Applications were last accepted for one day only on March 18, 2021. 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:
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 THDA website.
Sources: This information was verified by the THDA on March 11, 2021.
Let's Discuss Area 1 Section 8 Voucher
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Area 1 has preferences for: Elderly, Displaced by Natural Disaster, Live, Work, or Attend School Locally, Disabled. Preferences are not required but Section 8 Voucher applicants that meet these criteria will be moved up the waiting list.
Area 1 Section 8 Voucher Waiting List is managed by Tennessee Housing Development Agency.
Tennessee Housing Development Agency provides affordable housing for up to 6,298 low- and moderate-income households through its public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Anderson County, Bedford County, Benton County, Blount County, Campbell County, Cannon County, Carroll County, Cheatham County, Chester County, Claiborne County, Clay County, Cocke County, Coffee County, Crockett County, Decatur County, DeKalb County, Dyer County, Fayette County, Fentress County, Franklin County, Gibson County, Giles County, Grainger County, Hamblen County, Hardeman County, Hardin County, Haywood County, Henderson County, Henry County, Hickman County, Houston County, Humphreys County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Knox County, Lake County, Lauderdale County, Lawrence County, Lewis County, Lincoln County, Loudon County, Macon County, Madison County, Marshall County, Maury County, McNairy County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Moore County, Morgan County, Obion County, Overton County, Perry County, Pickett County, Putnam County, Roane County, Robertson County, Rutherford County, Scott County, Sevier County, Shelby County, Smith County, Stewart County, Sumner County, Tipton County, Trousdale County, Union County, Van Buren County, Warren County, Wayne County, Weakley County, White County, Williamson County, Wilson County, Tennessee. Service does not extend to Bledsoe County, Service does not extend to Bradley County, Service does not extend to Cumberland County, Service does not extend to Davidson County, Service does not extend to Dickson County, Service does not extend to Grundy County, Service does not extend to Hamilton County, Service does not extend to Marion County, Service does not extend to McMinn County, Service does not extend to Meigs County, Service does not extend to Polk County, Service does not extend to Rhea County, Service does not extend to Rutherford County, Service does not extend to Sequatchie County, Service does not extend to Shelby County, Service does not extend to Williamson County, Service does not extend to Altamont, Service does not extend to Antioch, Service does not extend to Apison, Service does not extend to Arlington, Service does not extend to Athens, Service does not extend to Bartlett, Service does not extend to Beersheba Springs, Service does not extend to Belle Meade, Service does not extend to Benton, Service does not extend to Berry Hill, Service does not extend to Bowman, Service does not extend to Brentwood, Service does not extend to Burns, Service does not extend to Calhoun, Service does not extend to Charleston, Service does not extend to Charlotte, Service does not extend to Chattanooga, Service does not extend to Cleveland, Service does not extend to Coalmont, Service does not extend to Collegedale, Service does not extend to Copperhill, Service does not extend to Crab Orchard, Service does not extend to Crossville, Service does not extend to Dayton, Service does not extend to Decatur, Service does not extend to Dickson, Service does not extend to Ducktown, Service does not extend to Dunlap, Service does not extend to Eagleville, Service does not extend to East Cleveland, Service does not extend to East Ridge, Service does not extend to Englewood, Service does not extend to Etowah, Service does not extend to Fairfield Glade, Service does not extend to Fairmount, Service does not extend to Fairview, Service does not extend to Falling Water, Service does not extend to Flat Top Mountain, Service does not extend to Forest Hills, Service does not extend to Franklin, Service does not extend to Germantown, Service does not extend to Goodlettsville, Service does not extend to Graysville, Service does not extend to Gruetli laager, Service does not extend to Gruetli-Laager, Service does not extend to Harrison, Service does not extend to Hopewell, Service does not extend to Jasper, Service does not extend to Kimball, Service does not extend to La Vergne, Service does not extend to Lake Tansi, Service does not extend to Lakeland, Service does not extend to Lakesite, Service does not extend to Lakewood, Service does not extend to Lone Oak, Service does not extend to Lookout Mountain, Service does not extend to Memphis, Service does not extend to Middle Valley, Service does not extend to Millington, Service does not extend to Mowbray Mountain, Service does not extend to Murfreesboro, Service does not extend to Nashville, Service does not extend to New Hope, Service does not extend to Niota, Service does not extend to Nolensville, Service does not extend to Oak Hill, Service does not extend to Ooltewah, Service does not extend to Orme, Service does not extend to Palmer, Service does not extend to Pelham, Service does not extend to Pikeville, Service does not extend to Pleasant Hill, Service does not extend to Powell, Service does not extend to Powells Crossroads, Service does not extend to Red Bank, Service does not extend to Riceville, Service does not extend to Ridgeside, Service does not extend to Ridgetop, Service does not extend to Sale Creek, Service does not extend to Signal Mountain, Service does not extend to Slayden, Service does not extend to Smyrna, Service does not extend to Soddy-Daisy, Service does not extend to South Cleveland, Service does not extend to South Pittsburg, Service does not extend to Spring City, Service does not extend to Sweetwater, Service does not extend to Thompson's Station, Service does not extend to Tracy City, Service does not extend to Vanleer, Service does not extend to Walden, Service does not extend to Walterhill, Service does not extend to White Bluff, Service does not extend to Whitwell, Service does not extend to Wildwood Lake, Tennessee.
After applying, it's a good practice to keep a record of any application that you submit. This will help you keep track of your application, and is especially useful if you apply to multiple waiting lists. You can do this easily with a document on your computer or mobile device, and also with a notebook or piece of paper.
Make sure to write down your application or confirmation number with the application details. This number will be important to reference in the future. Once you have this information written, keep it stored in a place that's easy to access when you need it.
With this information safely stored, all you have left to do is wait to find out if you've been selected for the waiting list.
Depending on the area, it may take weeks or even months to know if you've been selected for the waiting list. Your wait for an announcement is usually the longest in areas with large populations and a high demand for housing assistance.
Check if the public notice states when the housing authority plans to announce the results, or how long it may take to review applications. Contact the housing authority if this information isn't available.
Once all applications are reviewed, the housing authority will either contact everyone who has been placed on the waiting list, or message everyone who applied to check their results.
The housing authority will use the contact information you give in the application to reach you (usually by mail, email, or phone). For this reason, it is very important to put valid contact information on your application. Make sure you keep your contact information up to date, and that you respond quickly if any further action is required.
If you don't get contacted by the housing authority, it might mean that you were not chosen for the waiting list. Sometimes, housing authorities do not contact applicants who were not placed on the waiting list. Check with the housing authority for confirmation.
To check your status on the waiting list, you usually have to log into an online portal, call a phone number, or visit the office. Each housing authority has different ways for you to check your status.
Some housing authorities will give your spot on the waiting list, but others might only confirm that you're still on the waiting list. Make sure that you have your application or confirmation number with you when checking your status.
The wait to reach the top of this waiting list will be different for everyone.
This waiting list has at least one preference, so those who qualify will have a shorter wait than those who don't. After sorting preferences, applicants are placed on the waiting list by date and time the application was received by the housing authority. So applying soon after the waiting list opens will give you a shorter wait than those who wait to apply after you.
If you are closer to the top of the waiting list, your wait may be just weeks or months long. But if you're closer to the end of the waiting list, it could take years to reach the top.
To update your waiting list application, you usually have to log into an online portal, call a phone number, or submit a form to the office. Each housing authority has different ways for you to update your application.
Make sure that you have your application or confirmation number with you when updating your application.
You cannot apply for a waiting list that is closed until it is reopened by the housing authority. It is not known when the housing authority will announce the next opening.
To apply online, an electronic form must be submitted to the housing authority on the internet. Many online applications require an account to be created to log in, and also a valid email address.
A waiting list sorted by date and time orders applicants who are selected for the waiting list by the date and time the housing authority receives the application. Those who apply earlier will generally be placed higher on the waiting list.
If you are considering applying for a voucher, you may be interested to know who already has a voucher, and what the households tend to look like. Fortunately, we can provide some helpful statistics using HUD's 2023 Picture of Subsidized Households. The following data describes the economic and demographic characteristics of renters who have a Section or project-based voucher issued by Tennessee Housing Development Agency.
At the start of 2024, Tennessee Housing Development Agency was managing 6,412 Section 8 vouchers. Of the total number of vouchers managed, there were 5,450 households with a voucher. This represents 85% of the total voucher allotment for Tennessee Housing Development Agency.
According to HUD, there is a total of 14,652 people living in households with a Section 8 voucher issued by Tennessee Housing Development Agency, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 5,450 households with a Section 8 voucher at the start of 2024 waited on average 36 months to receive their voucher. Of those voucher-holding households, 654 got their voucher in the last year. This represents 12 percent of voucher holders with vouchers issued by Tennessee Housing Development Agency.
Though Section 8 voucher programs are over-subscribed across the nation with all programs having a waiting list, each month, each housing agency managing vouchers has vouchers that are not issued to renters. This can result from turnover in the program if someone with a voucher buys a home, sees an increase in their income, passes away, or otherwise discontinues the use of their voucher.
The time it takes to transfer voucher funding from one recipient to another can be many months. Managing the Section 8 waiting list, qualifying new voucher holders, and approving new homes or apartments takes time. In addition, in some areas, there is an extreme housing shortage or landlords may refuse to rent to persons using a Section 8 voucher to pay their rent. This results in longer than usual ramp-up times for new voucher holders.
The Tennessee Housing Development Agency Section 8 HCV program that this waiting list covers had 85% of its vouchers utilized by households with 15% unutilized at the start of 2024. This means that 962 Section 8 vouchers out of a total of 6,412 were in processing at the time HUD reported the data.
Of the 5,450 Section 8 voucher-holding households with the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, 3,527 have at least one child. There are 128 two-parent households in the Tennessee Housing Development Agency voucher program, and 3,398 single-parent households. There were 3,398 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Tennessee Housing Development Agency Section 8 Voucher holders is $16,679 The average annual income per person is $6,859 The average voucher holder earns 24% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 654 | 12% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 600 | 11% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 1,744 | 32% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 818 | 15% |
| $20,000+ | 1,581 | 29% |
Of all voucher holders, 2,116 (33%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 64 (1%) voucher-holding households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 4,168 (65%) voucher-holding households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program pays 70% of the cost of rent plus utilities for any household receiving the housing assistance.
For the Tennessee Housing Development Agency Section 8 program, the federal government is providing, on average, $798 per month to each household, for an average annual cost of $9,576. The program as a whole is paying landlords $4,349,100 per month, for an annual economic benefit to landlords of $52,189,200
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the Section 8 tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Tennessee Housing Development Agency Section 8 HCV programs, the average family expenditure is $421 per month or $5,052 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $2,294,450 per month, which is $27,533,400 per year.
The average total rent paid to Section 8 landlords is $1,219 per month which includes payment contributed by both tenant households and the federal government. This is a program-wide rent average across all bedroom size rentals.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $157 per month. It is important to note this is not the actual cost renters will pay for utilities, but an estimate based on the energy cost estimates of the program.
Of the 6,412 households with a Section 8 voucher, 927 (17%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 2,180 (40%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 2,344 (43%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 31% of Housing Choice Voucher recipients are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
73% of Tennessee Housing Development Agency Section 8 HCV program households have a minority head of household who is Black, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander; or of Hispanic ethnicity.
| Race | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% |
| Black Non-Hispanic | 3,870 | 71% |
| Native American/Alaskan | 0 | 0% |
| White Non-Hispanic | 1,472 | 27% |
| Black Hispanic | 55 | 1% |
| White Hispanic | 55 | 1% |
| Other Hispanic | 0 | 0% |
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 164 | 3% |
| 25-50/td> | 3,270 | 60% |
| 51-61 | 927 | 17% |
| 62-84 | 1,090 | 20% |
| 85 or Older | 55 | 1% |
Don’t miss your window to apply!
If you can't apply now, write down when the waiting list closes. Many waiting lists are open only for a short time.Josie Shivers says:
"Affordable Housing Online is a very helpful website. I was able to put it in a Section 8 application, and received a letter that I was chosen to be on a waiting list!"
