Analysis by Nathan Brunet
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Portland Housing Authority (PHA) Public Housing waiting list is currently open, since at least June, 2015, until further notice. Waiting lists for a specific community or bedroom size may be closed.
There are three ways to apply:
For more information, visit the PHA Public Housing Program page, or the PHA website.
The application may be completed in person at http://mainesection8centralwaitlist.org/dup/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CWL-Preliminary-Application-REV-1-2015.pdf.
The application may be printed out from http://mainesection8centralwaitlist.org/dup/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CWL-Preliminary-Application-REV-1-2015.pdf.
The application may be mailed to http://mainesection8centralwaitlist.org/dup/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CWL-Preliminary-Application-REV-1-2015.pdf.
Portland 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.
Portland Housing Authority Public Housing Waiting List is managed by Portland Housing Authority.
Portland Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 2,981 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Gorham, Gray, North Yarmouth, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Scarborough, Westbrook, Windham, Yarmouth, Maine.
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 Portland Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Portland Housing Authority was managing 708 Public Housing units. Of the total number of units managed, there were 630 units occupied. This represents 89% of the total number of Public Housing units managed by Portland Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 1,574 people living in Public Housing units managed by Portland Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 3.
The 630 households living in Public Housing units at the start of 2024 waited on average 26 months before being able to move in. Of those households, 44 occupied their unit in the last year. This represents 7 percent of Public Housing tenants in units managed by Portland Housing Authority.
The Portland Housing Authority Public Housing program that this waiting list covers had 89% of its units occupied by households with 11% unoccupied at the start of 2024.
Of the 630 Public Housing households in units managed by Portland Housing Authority, 262 have at least one child. There are 99 two-parent households in the Portland Housing Authority Public Housing units, and 163 single-parent households. There were 184 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Portland Housing Authority Public Housing tenant households is $26,396 The average annual income per person is $10,548 The average Public Housing household annual income is 26% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 19 | 3% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 32 | 5% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 195 | 31% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 88 | 14% |
| $20,000+ | 290 | 46% |
Of all Public Housing households, 269 (38%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 14 (2%) households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 411 (58%) households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
For the Portland Housing Authority Public Housing program, the federal government covers the cost of, on average, $1,285 per month for each household, which equates to annual cost of $15,420.
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Portland Housing Authority Public Housing program, the average family expenditure is $627 per month or $7,524 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $395,010 per month, which is $4,740,120 per year.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $51 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 708 households living in Public Housing units, 189 (30%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 214 (34%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 221 (35%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 19% of Public Housing households are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
46% of Portland 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 | 6 | 1% |
| 25-50/td> | 239 | 38% |
| 51-61 | 170 | 27% |
| 62-84 | 208 | 33% |
| 85 or Older | 13 | 2% |
Looking for housing as soon as possible?
Applying for waiting lists with preferences that you qualify for may help shorten the wait for available housing.Sandra Lewis-Kidd says:
"I received daily updates from Affordable Housing Online on waiting list openings not only in my city, but also other states and cities accepting applications. I was able to apply, and was actually chosen for the Section 8 housing lottery!"