The Columbus Housing Authority (CHA) is currently accepting Public Housing waiting list pre-applications for families.Please note: The CHA does not offer a Public Housing program for senior/disabled individuals.The CHA offers one Public Housing community with 20 units for families, ranging in size from 2 to 4 bedrooms.To apply, visit the CHA to pick up a pre-application, located at 910 S Florida Ave., Columbus, KS 66725 during normal office hours.Once the pre-application has been completed, it can be mailed or hand delivered to the address listed above.Be sure to include these documents with the pre-application: Social Security Cards, birth certificates, and photo IDs for all adult household members.The CHA does not have a preference.Qualified applicants will be placed by the date and time the pre-application is received.For more information, the CHA can be reached by calling (620) 429-1050 during normal office hours.
Columbus Housing Authority Public Housing Waiting List is managed by Columbus Housing Authority.
Columbus Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 20 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher programs.
This housing agency serves Columbus, Kansas.
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 Columbus Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Columbus Housing Authority was managing 20 Public Housing units. Of the total number of units managed, there were 19 units occupied. This represents 95% of the total number of Public Housing units managed by Columbus Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 59 people living in Public Housing units managed by Columbus Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 3.
The 19 households living in Public Housing units at the start of 2024 waited on average 1 months before being able to move in. Of those households, 3 occupied their unit in the last year. This represents 16 percent of Public Housing tenants in units managed by Columbus Housing Authority.
The Columbus Housing Authority Public Housing program that this waiting list covers had 95% of its units occupied by households with 5% unoccupied at the start of 2024.
Of the 19 Public Housing households in units managed by Columbus Housing Authority, 16 have at least one child. There are 5 two-parent households in the Columbus Housing Authority Public Housing units, and 11 single-parent households. There were 12 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Columbus Housing Authority Public Housing tenant households is $18,387 The average annual income per person is $5,921 The average Public Housing household annual income is 27% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 1 | 5% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 3 | 16% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 2 | 11% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 2 | 11% |
| $20,000+ | 11 | 58% |
Of all Public Housing households, 16 (79%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 4 (21%) households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
For the Columbus Housing Authority Public Housing program, the federal government covers the cost of, on average, $695 per month for each household, which equates to annual cost of $8,340.
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Columbus Housing Authority Public Housing program, the average family expenditure is $321 per month or $3,852 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $6,099 per month, which is $73,188 per year.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $65 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.
11% of Columbus 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.
Stay in contact with the housing agency after applying.
While on a waiting list, always keep your information up to date. If you get selected for housing, the agency needs to know how to reach you!Cathy Watkins says:
"I’m just glad I could find Affordable Housing Online. If I can find a low-income rental, I can see retirement."