Analysis by David Layfield
Last Updated: October, 1st 2024
This waiting list is for Public Housing rental housing assistance in Iowa City, Iowa.
The Iowa City Housing Authority (ICHA) is no longer accepting Public Housing waiting list applications as of October 1, 2024 at 5PM.
The program now has over a three wait time and the housing authority is focussing on serving the applicants currently on the list. It will reopen when the number of applicants on the waiting list is depleted.The ICHA offers 36 single-family homes, 33 zero lot/duplex/tri-plex homes, 8 multi-family homes, and 4 row homes, ranging in size from 2 to 4 bedrooms.When the waiting list was open, applicants would submit an application online here.This waiting list had the following preferences: Displaced by government action, displaced by natural disaster in the State of Iowa, families with children who live in the ICHA jurisdiction, elderly or disabled households who live in the ICHA jurisdiction, households with two or more people and no children who live in the ICHA jurisdiction, elderly or disabled households who do not live in the ICHA jurisdiction, families with children who do not live in the ICHA jurisdiction, households with two or more people and no children who do not live in the ICHA jurisdiction.For more information, visit the ICHA website, or call the office at (319) 356-5400.Source: Verified a news story on CBS2Iowa on September 3, 2024 by Dave Layfield.
Iowa City Housing Authority has preferences for: Elderly, Displaced by Natural Disaster, Live, Work, or Attend School Locally, Displaced by Government Action, Disabled, Families with Children. Preferences are not required but Public Housing applicants that meet these criteria will be moved up the waiting list.
Iowa City Housing Authority Public Housing Waiting List is managed by Iowa City Housing Authority.
Iowa City Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 1,379 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Iowa County, Johnson County, Washington County, Iowa.
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.
The wait to reach the top of this waiting list will be different for everyone.
This waiting list has at least one preference, so those who qualify will have a shorter wait than those who don't. After sorting preferences, applicants are placed on the waiting list by date and time the application was received by the housing authority. So applying soon after the waiting list opens will give you a shorter wait than those who wait to apply after you.
If you are closer to the top of the waiting list, your wait may be just weeks or months long. But if you're closer to the end of the waiting list, it could take years to reach the top.
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 cannot apply for a waiting list that is closed until it is reopened by the housing authority. It is not known when the housing authority will announce the next opening.
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.
A waiting list sorted by date and time orders applicants who are selected for the waiting list by the date and time the housing authority receives the application. Those who apply earlier will generally be placed higher on the waiting list.
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 Iowa City Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Iowa City Housing Authority was managing 86 Public Housing units. Of the total number of units managed, there were 78 units occupied. This represents 91% of the total number of Public Housing units managed by Iowa City Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 270 people living in Public Housing units managed by Iowa City Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 4.
The 78 households living in Public Housing units at the start of 2024 waited on average 40 months before being able to move in. Of those households, 13 occupied their unit in the last year. This represents 17 percent of Public Housing tenants in units managed by Iowa City Housing Authority.
The Iowa City Housing Authority Public Housing program that this waiting list covers had 91% of its units occupied by households with 9% unoccupied at the start of 2024.
Of the 78 Public Housing households in units managed by Iowa City Housing Authority, 66 have at least one child. There are 13 two-parent households in the Iowa City Housing Authority Public Housing units, and 53 single-parent households. There were 61 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Iowa City Housing Authority Public Housing tenant households is $21,616 The average annual income per person is $6,245 The average Public Housing household annual income is 20% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 5 | 7% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 1 | 1% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 15 | 19% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 16 | 21% |
| $20,000+ | 40 | 51% |
Of all Public Housing households, 44 (51%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 30 (35%) households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
For the Iowa City Housing Authority Public Housing program, the federal government covers the cost of, on average, $322 per month for each household, which equates to annual cost of $3,864.
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Iowa City Housing Authority Public Housing program, the average family expenditure is $482 per month or $5,784 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $37,596 per month, which is $451,152 per year.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $135 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 86 households living in Public Housing units, 5 (6%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 23 (29%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 50 (64%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 14% of Public Housing households are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
82% of Iowa City 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.
Applying for housing with bad credit.
Some housing assistance programs require a credit check, including Low-Income Housing Tax Credit apartments. Having bad credit may make you ineligible.Genora Jackson says:
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