Analysis by Lorena Bentley
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) Elderly/Disabled Assisted Living Section 8 Project-Based Voucher waiting list for apartments at Rose of Dubuque is closed.
The HCDD last accepted applications for this waiting list on an unconfirmed date in 2021. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.
Please note: According to the HCDD, "Seniors and persons with disabilities who are income-eligible may qualify for rental assistance at 17 specific units located at the Rose of Dubuque, an assisted living facility located at 3390 Lake Ridge Dr."
To apply during the opening period, applicants were required to complete the online application.
For more information, visit the HCDD website.
Assisted Living has preferences for: Preferences Unconfirmed. Preferences are not required but Senior Section 8 Project-Based Voucher applicants that meet these criteria will be moved up the waiting list.
Assisted Living Senior Section 8 Project-Based Voucher Waiting List is managed by City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department.
City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department provides affordable housing for up to 1,086 low- and moderate-income households through its public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Dubuque, Iowa.
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.
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.
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 City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department.
At the start of 2024, City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department was managing 1,125 Section 8 vouchers. Of the total number of vouchers managed, there were 911 households with a voucher. This represents 81% of the total voucher allotment for City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department.
According to HUD, there is a total of 1,918 people living in households with a Section 8 voucher issued by City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 911 households with a Section 8 voucher at the start of 2024 waited on average 5 months to receive their voucher. Of those voucher-holding households, 255 got their voucher in the last year. This represents 28 percent of voucher holders with vouchers issued by City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department.
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 City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department Section 8 HCV program that this waiting list covers had 81% of its vouchers utilized by households with 19% unutilized at the start of 2024. This means that 214 Section 8 vouchers out of a total of 1,125 were in processing at the time HUD reported the data.
Of the 911 Section 8 voucher-holding households with the City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department, 506 have at least one child. There are 11 two-parent households in the City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department voucher program, and 495 single-parent households. There were 484 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department Section 8 Voucher holders is $13,641 The average annual income per person is $6,187 The average voucher holder earns 18% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 100 | 11% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 82 | 9% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 365 | 40% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 155 | 17% |
| $20,000+ | 210 | 23% |
Of all voucher holders, 248 (22%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 34 (3%) voucher-holding households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 720 (64%) 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 City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department Section 8 program, the federal government is providing, on average, $615 per month to each household, for an average annual cost of $7,380. The program as a whole is paying landlords $560,265 per month, for an annual economic benefit to landlords of $6,723,180
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the Section 8 tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department Section 8 HCV programs, the average family expenditure is $345 per month or $4,140 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $314,295 per month, which is $3,771,540 per year.
The average total rent paid to Section 8 landlords is $960 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 $164 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 1,125 households with a Section 8 voucher, 355 (39%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 301 (33%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 255 (28%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 15% of Housing Choice Voucher recipients are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
49% of City of Dubuque Housing and Community Development Department 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 | 9 | 1% |
| Black Non-Hispanic | 401 | 44% |
| Native American/Alaskan | 0 | 0% |
| White Non-Hispanic | 465 | 51% |
| Black Hispanic | 9 | 1% |
| White Hispanic | 18 | 2% |
| Other Hispanic | 0 | 0% |
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 64 | 7% |
| 25-50/td> | 474 | 52% |
| 51-61 | 155 | 17% |
| 62-84 | 200 | 22% |
| 85 or Older | 18 | 2% |
Even if it looks difficult to get housing, apply anyway.
Some factors make it look like a longshot to get housing. Any waiting list opening is a legitimate chance to get housing, no mattter how long it takes.Kimberly Leighton says:
"I rely on Affordable Housing Online to keep me aware of housing opportunities that I would otherwise have no clue exist."