Analysis by Rachel Lynch
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Needham Housing Authority (NHA) waiting list for Public Housing apartments is currently open. Applications are being accepted since at least December, 2020, until further notice.
To apply during the opening period, print the application and forms available online here. Select the document links under the "Required Forms" section.
Once the application has been completed, it can be mailed or hand delivered to Needham Housing Authority, 28 Capt. Robert Cook Drive, Needham, MA 02494.
This waiting list has the following preferences:
HomelessA homeless applicant is on who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence and has a primary nighttime residence that is: a supervised shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (this would include welfare hotels, congregate shelter and transitional housing); an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be deinstitutionalized; and/or, a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used for sleeping.It should be noted that a homeless applicant does not include and individual imprisoned or otherwise detained by law.
Living in Substandard HousingA dwelling unit is considered substandard if it: is dilapidated; does not have operable indoor plumbing; does not have useable flush toilet, bathtub or shower within the unit for the exclusive use of the applicant household (this does not apply to housing designed with shared facilities such as boarding houses); does not have electricity, or has inadequate of unsafe electrical service; does not have a safe or adequate source of heat; and/or, does not have a kitchen (these criteria does not apply to housing designed to share facilities). “Dilapidated “housing is housing which does not provide safe and adequate shelter and endangers the health, safety or well-being of the household.It should be noted that substandard housing does not include overcrowding.
For more information, visit the NHA website.
The application may be completed in person at https://secure.massnahro.org/Section8LHA_Internet/WebPages/Registration/Home.aspx.
The application may be printed out from https://www.needhamhousing.org/fedinstr/.
The application may be mailed to Needham Housing Authority, 28 Capt. Robert Cook Drive, Needham MA 02494.
The application may be turned in to Needham Housing Authority, 28 Capt. Robert Cook Drive, Needham MA 02494.
Needham Housing Authority has preferences for: Displaced by Natural Disaster, Live, Work, or Attend School Locally, Veterans, Working/Employed, Homeless, Displaced by Government Action, Live in Substandard Housing, Rent Burdened. Preferences are not required but Public Housing applicants that meet these criteria will be moved up the waiting list.
Needham Housing Authority Public Housing Waiting List is managed by Needham Housing Authority.
Needham Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 256 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Needham, Massachusetts.
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.
To print out an application, a paper form must be printed from a device that is connected to the internet. This document is usually in the form of a .doc, docx, or .pdf. The application must be completed and sent back to the housing authority according to their instructions.
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 Needham Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Needham Housing Authority was managing 136 Public Housing units. Of the total number of units managed, there were 132 units occupied. This represents 97% of the total number of Public Housing units managed by Needham Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 315 people living in Public Housing units managed by Needham Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 132 households living in Public Housing units at the start of 2024 waited on average 29 months before being able to move in. Of those households, 3 occupied their unit in the last year. This represents 2 percent of Public Housing tenants in units managed by Needham Housing Authority.
The Needham Housing Authority Public Housing program that this waiting list covers had 97% of its units occupied by households with 3% unoccupied at the start of 2024.
Of the 132 Public Housing households in units managed by Needham Housing Authority, 53 have at least one child. There are 8 two-parent households in the Needham Housing Authority Public Housing units, and 45 single-parent households. There were 48 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Needham Housing Authority Public Housing tenant households is $32,750 The average annual income per person is $13,724 The average Public Housing household annual income is 26% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 1 | 1% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 5 | 4% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 32 | 24% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 11 | 8% |
| $20,000+ | 83 | 63% |
Of all Public Housing households, 63 (46%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 4 (3%) households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 67 (49%) households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
For the Needham Housing Authority Public Housing program, the federal government covers the cost of, on average, $361 per month for each household, which equates to annual cost of $4,332.
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Needham Housing Authority Public Housing program, the average family expenditure is $733 per month or $8,796 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $96,756 per month, which is $1,161,072 per year.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $310 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 136 households living in Public Housing units, 45 (34%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 38 (29%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 49 (37%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 6% of Public Housing households are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
42% of Needham 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 | 3 | 2% |
| 25-50/td> | 45 | 34% |
| 51-61 | 30 | 23% |
| 62-84 | 51 | 39% |
| 85 or Older | 3 | 2% |
Affordable housing is for both families and individuals.
There is no requirement to have family members or children to live in affordable housing. Single persons are eligible for housing.Hisini Davis says:
"I love Affordable Housing Online, it shows me what's open and also when waiting lists close."