Analysis by Ayat Elkarib
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Decatur Housing Authority (DHA) Near Elderly and Disabled Public Housing waiting list for 1-Bedroom apartments at Concord Highrise, Lexington Highrise, and Hartford Highrise is currently open.
The DHA is accepting applications for this waiting list from February 6, 2023, until further notice.
Please note: This waiting list is for applicants who are over the age of 50 or disabled.
To apply during the opening period, complete the online application.
Preferences have not yet been confirmed. The DHA pre-application states "Decatur Housing Authority ulitizies a local preference." But the specific preference, or preferences have not been confirmed. HUD's official term for any preference is called a "local preference." It's possible that this preference is for persons who reside and/or work in Macon County.
It is not yet known how selected applicants will be placed on the waiting list.
For more information, visit the DHA website.
Sources: This information was verified by the DHA notice on February 6, 2023.
The application may be completed online at https://decaturhail.rja.revize.com/forms/4003.
1-Bedroom Disabled Public Housing Waiting List is managed by Decatur Housing Authority.
Decatur Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 2,191 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Macon County, Illinois.
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.
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 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 Decatur Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Decatur Housing Authority was managing 681 Public Housing units. Of the total number of units managed, there were 497 units occupied. This represents 73% of the total number of Public Housing units managed by Decatur Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 918 people living in Public Housing units managed by Decatur Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 497 households living in Public Housing units at the start of 2024 waited on average 13 months before being able to move in. Of those households, 99 occupied their unit in the last year. This represents 20 percent of Public Housing tenants in units managed by Decatur Housing Authority.
The Decatur Housing Authority Public Housing program that this waiting list covers had 73% of its units occupied by households with 27% unoccupied at the start of 2024.
Of the 497 Public Housing households in units managed by Decatur Housing Authority, 218 have at least one child. There are 7 two-parent households in the Decatur Housing Authority Public Housing units, and 211 single-parent households. There were 204 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Decatur Housing Authority Public Housing tenant households is $12,890 The average annual income per person is $7,021 The average Public Housing household annual income is 20% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 85 | 17% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 60 | 12% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 204 | 41% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 50 | 10% |
| $20,000+ | 99 | 20% |
Of all Public Housing households, 157 (23%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 54 (8%) households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 388 (57%) households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
For the Decatur Housing Authority Public Housing program, the federal government covers the cost of, on average, $874 per month for each household, which equates to annual cost of $10,488.
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Decatur Housing Authority Public Housing program, the average family expenditure is $276 per month or $3,312 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $137,172 per month, which is $1,646,064 per year.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $126 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 681 households living in Public Housing units, 288 (58%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 99 (20%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 109 (22%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 11% of Public Housing households are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
75% of Decatur 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.
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 45 | 9% |
| 25-50/td> | 219 | 44% |
| 51-61 | 109 | 22% |
| 62-84 | 114 | 23% |
| 85 or Older | 5 | 1% |
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!Luann McCarthy says:
"There are many apartments to view on Affordable Housing Online."