The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) is currently accepting Public Housing waiting list applications for families and senior/disabled households.To apply, attend an informational briefing session at the John F. Murphy Housing Service Center, located at 56 Chauncy St., Boston, MA 02111. A schedule of briefing sessions can be found here. The following documentation is required at the briefing session: Birth dates, Social Security Numbers, income, photo ID.If you are unable to attend a session because of a disability, an application can be mailed to you by calling (617) 988-3400, during normal office hours. Be sure to include documented proof from you doctor, explaining why you weren't able to apply in person.No preferences were noted.Important note: Applicants who have been placed on the waiting list must inform the housing authority immediately if your application information changes (such as contact information, income, and household members). In the case that the office sends a notice that does not get returned, or if application information is out of date, your name may be terminated from the waiting list. Contact the housing authority to find out how to update application information.For more information, visit the BHA website, or call the office at (617) 988-3400 during normal office hours.
Let's Discuss Boston Housing Authority Public Housing
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Boston Housing Authority Public Housing Waiting List is managed by Boston Housing Authority.
Boston Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 25,773 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Boston, Massachusetts.
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 can apply for a waiting list that is open until further notice while it stays open for an unknown period of time. Usually, the housing authority is accepting applications until the waiting list closes, but some of these waiting lists never close.
If you are considering applying to live in a Public Housing unit, you may be interested to know who already lives in these units, 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 live in Public Housing units provided by Boston Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Boston Housing Authority was managing 8,108 Public Housing units. Of the total number of units managed, there were 7,459 units occupied. This represents 92% of the total number of Public Housing units managed by Boston Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 13,620 people living in Public Housing units managed by Boston Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 7,459 households living in Public Housing units at the start of 2024 waited on average 41 months before being able to move in. Of those households, 373 occupied their unit in the last year. This represents 5 percent of Public Housing tenants in units managed by Boston Housing Authority.
The Boston Housing Authority Public Housing program that this waiting list covers had 92% of its units occupied by households with 8% unoccupied at the start of 2024.
Of the 7,459 Public Housing households in units managed by Boston Housing Authority, 2,027 have at least one child. There are 243 two-parent households in the Boston Housing Authority Public Housing units, and 1,784 single-parent households. There were 1,865 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Boston Housing Authority Public Housing tenant households is $22,321 The average annual income per person is $11,972 The average Public Housing household annual income is 19% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 373 | 5% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 597 | 8% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 2,760 | 37% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 1,044 | 14% |
| $20,000+ | 2,685 | 36% |
Of all Public Housing households, 2,432 (30%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 405 (5%) households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 4,865 (60%) households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
For the Boston Housing Authority Public Housing program, the federal government covers the cost of, on average, $1,312 per month for each household, which equates to annual cost of $15,744.
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Boston Housing Authority Public Housing program, the average family expenditure is $522 per month or $6,264 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $3,893,598 per month, which is $46,723,176 per year.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $118 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 8,108 households living in Public Housing units, 3,804 (51%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 1,939 (26%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 1,641 (22%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 14% of Public Housing households are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
83% of Boston Housing Authority Public Housing 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 | 671 | 9% |
| Black Non-Hispanic | 2,611 | 35% |
| Native American/Alaskan | 0 | 0% |
| White Non-Hispanic | 1,268 | 17% |
| Black Hispanic | 671 | 9% |
| White Hispanic | 2,163 | 29% |
| Other Hispanic | 0 | 0% |
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 75 | 1% |
| 25-50/td> | 2,238 | 30% |
| 51-61 | 1,566 | 21% |
| 62-84 | 3,208 | 43% |
| 85 or Older | 373 | 5% |
If you're a homeless veteran, contact your VA Medical Center.
You may have an opportunity to apply for a VASH voucher, which is a Section 8 voucher for homeless veterans.Lorraine Dale says:
"I have visited Affordable Housing Online over and over again to get on waiting lists. I never would have even gotten on them without this information!"