Analysis by Nathan Brunet
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Housing Authority of Luzerne County (HALC) is currently accepting Public Housing waiting list applications.
To apply, complete an application at the HALC office, located at 250 First Avenue, Kingston, PA 18704, from 9:00 am until 3:30 pm ET, Monday-Friday.
For more information, visit the HALC website, or call the office at (570) 287-9661.
Housing Authority of Luzerne County Public Housing Waiting List is managed by Housing Authority of Luzerne County.
Housing Authority of Luzerne County provides affordable housing for up to 2,467 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Service does not extend to Hazleton, Service does not extend to Nanticoke, Service does not extend to Pittston, Service does not extend to Wilkes–Barre, Pennsylvania.
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 Housing Authority of Luzerne County.
At the start of 2024, Housing Authority of Luzerne County was managing 1,352 Public Housing units. Of the total number of units managed, there were 1,257 units occupied. This represents 93% of the total number of Public Housing units managed by Housing Authority of Luzerne County.
According to HUD, there is a total of 2,058 people living in Public Housing units managed by Housing Authority of Luzerne County, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 1,257 households living in Public Housing units at the start of 2024 waited on average 14 months before being able to move in. Of those households, 176 occupied their unit in the last year. This represents 14 percent of Public Housing tenants in units managed by Housing Authority of Luzerne County.
The Housing Authority of Luzerne County Public Housing program that this waiting list covers had 93% of its units occupied by households with 7% unoccupied at the start of 2024.
Of the 1,257 Public Housing households in units managed by Housing Authority of Luzerne County, 324 have at least one child. There are 27 two-parent households in the Housing Authority of Luzerne County Public Housing units, and 297 single-parent households. There were 284 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Housing Authority of Luzerne County Public Housing tenant households is $19,426 The average annual income per person is $11,809 The average Public Housing household annual income is 33% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 63 | 5% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 63 | 5% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 440 | 35% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 239 | 19% |
| $20,000+ | 453 | 36% |
Of all Public Housing households, 284 (21%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 14 (1%) households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 1,028 (76%) households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
For the Housing Authority of Luzerne County Public Housing program, the federal government covers the cost of, on average, $609 per month for each household, which equates to annual cost of $7,308.
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Housing Authority of Luzerne County Public Housing program, the average family expenditure is $397 per month or $4,764 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $499,029 per month, which is $5,988,348 per year.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $128 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 1,352 households living in Public Housing units, 754 (60%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 264 (21%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 226 (18%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 11% of Public Housing households are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
16% of Housing Authority of Luzerne County 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 | 0 | 0% |
| Black Non-Hispanic | 113 | 9% |
| Native American/Alaskan | 0 | 0% |
| White Non-Hispanic | 1,056 | 84% |
| Black Hispanic | 13 | 1% |
| White Hispanic | 63 | 5% |
| Other Hispanic | 0 | 0% |
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 38 | 3% |
| 25-50/td> | 365 | 29% |
| 51-61 | 239 | 19% |
| 62-84 | 553 | 44% |
| 85 or Older | 63 | 5% |
Do you have little or no income?
Be aware that some housing assistance programs have a minimum income requirement, such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credit aparments.Joana Warren says:
"Affordable Housing Online is a good place to see which Section 8 waiting lists are open."