Analysis by Lorena Bentley
Last Updated: April, 19th 2024
The Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb (HACD) Public Housing waiting list for 1, 2, and 3-Bedroom apartments is currently open on a limited basis. Applications are being accepted since at least August, 2017, until further notice.
According to the HACD, "applicants must have 2 or more local preferences and be income eligible to be added to the Low Income Public Housing waiting list." The preferences are listed below.
To apply during the opening period, complete the online application.
This waiting list has the following preferences:
For more information, visit the HADC website.
The application may be completed online at https://www.waitlistcheck.com/application/form.php.
1, 2, and 3-Bedroom Limited has preferences for: Live, Work, or Attend School Locally, Working/Employed, Families with Children, Rent Burdened. Preferences are not required but Public Housing applicants that meet these criteria will be moved up the waiting list.
1, 2, and 3-Bedroom Limited Public Housing Waiting List is managed by Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb.
Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb provides affordable housing for up to 891 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves DeKalb 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 Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb.
At the start of 2024, Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb was managing 278 Public Housing units. Of the total number of units managed, there were 267 units occupied. This represents 96% of the total number of Public Housing units managed by Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb.
According to HUD, there is a total of 373 people living in Public Housing units managed by Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb, with the average number of people per household being 1.
The 267 households living in Public Housing units at the start of 2024 waited on average 7 months before being able to move in. Of those households, 37 occupied their unit in the last year. This represents 14 percent of Public Housing tenants in units managed by Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb.
The Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb Public Housing program that this waiting list covers had 96% of its units occupied by households with 4% unoccupied at the start of 2024.
Of the 267 Public Housing households in units managed by Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb, 47 have at least one child. There are 3 two-parent households in the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb Public Housing units, and 44 single-parent households. There were 44 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb Public Housing tenant households is $19,775 The average annual income per person is $14,155 The average Public Housing household annual income is 28% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 16 | 6% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 13 | 5% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 93 | 35% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 43 | 16% |
| $20,000+ | 101 | 38% |
Of all Public Housing households, 70 (25%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 8 (3%) households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 192 (69%) households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
For the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb Public Housing program, the federal government covers the cost of, on average, $661 per month for each household, which equates to annual cost of $7,932.
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb Public Housing program, the average family expenditure is $429 per month or $5,148 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $114,543 per month, which is $1,374,516 per year.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $64 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 278 households living in Public Housing units, 214 (80%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 32 (12%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 21 (8%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 2% of Public Housing households are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
36% of Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb 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 | 8 | 3% |
| 25-50/td> | 101 | 38% |
| 51-61 | 56 | 21% |
| 62-84 | 99 | 37% |
| 85 or Older | 3 | 1% |
Prepare to pay a fee to apply for units that accept Section 8 vouchers.
While there is no charge for Section 8 applications, a private landlord may charge a fee to apply for an available unit.Mary Estrada says:
"As a case manager and housing specialist, Affordable Housing Online has helped me relocate families who are unable to afford rent. Thank you for the great work you do!"