Analysis by Nathan Brunet
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Durham Housing Authority (DHA) is currently accepting Public Housing waiting list applications until further notice. Waiting lists for a specific community or bedroom size may be closed.
To apply, complete an application at a community with an open waiting list. Community information can be found here.
For more information, visit the DHA website, or call the office at (919) 683-1551.
Durham Housing Authority has preferences for: Preferences Unconfirmed. Preferences are not required but Public Housing applicants that meet these criteria will be moved up the waiting list.
Durham Housing Authority Public Housing Waiting List is managed by Durham Housing Authority.
Durham Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 4,224 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Durham County, North Carolina.
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 in person, a paper form must be completed at a location set by the housing authority. This place may be a housing authority office, local government building, or another location that is helping with the waiting list opening.
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 Durham Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Durham Housing Authority was managing 1,063 Public Housing units. Of the total number of units managed, there were 882 units occupied. This represents 83% of the total number of Public Housing units managed by Durham Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 2,387 people living in Public Housing units managed by Durham Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 3.
The 882 households living in Public Housing units at the start of 2024 waited on average 85 months before being able to move in. Of those households, 0 occupied their unit in the last year. This represents 0 percent of Public Housing tenants in units managed by Durham Housing Authority.
The Durham Housing Authority Public Housing program that this waiting list covers had 83% of its units occupied by households with 17% unoccupied at the start of 2024.
Of the 882 Public Housing households in units managed by Durham Housing Authority, 595 have at least one child. There are 11 two-parent households in the Durham Housing Authority Public Housing units, and 585 single-parent households. There were 574 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Durham Housing Authority Public Housing tenant households is $10,770 The average annual income per person is $3,966 The average Public Housing household annual income is 13% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 203 | 23% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 79 | 9% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 309 | 35% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 97 | 11% |
| $20,000+ | 185 | 21% |
Of all Public Housing households, 244 (23%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 11 (1%) households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 585 (55%) households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
For the Durham Housing Authority Public Housing program, the federal government covers the cost of, on average, $1,229 per month for each household, which equates to annual cost of $14,748.
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Durham Housing Authority Public Housing program, the average family expenditure is $250 per month or $3,000 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $220,500 per month, which is $2,646,000 per year.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $93 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 1,063 households living in Public Housing units, 212 (24%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 212 (24%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 450 (51%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 20% of Public Housing households are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
97% of Durham 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 | 9 | 1% |
| Black Non-Hispanic | 838 | 95% |
| Native American/Alaskan | 0 | 0% |
| White Non-Hispanic | 26 | 3% |
| Black Hispanic | 9 | 1% |
| White Hispanic | 9 | 1% |
| Other Hispanic | 0 | 0% |
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 26 | 3% |
| 25-50/td> | 529 | 60% |
| 51-61 | 141 | 16% |
| 62-84 | 176 | 20% |
| 85 or Older | 9 | 1% |
Looking for landlords who will take a Section 8 voucher?
Ask your housing authority if they have a list of landlords who accept Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.Irina Petrova says:
"I recommend for everyone who needs information about Section 8 or Public Housing to use Affordable Housing Online."