Analysis by Richie Wright
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
As of July 2017, the West Helena Housing Authority (WHHA) is currently accepting Public Housing waiting list pre-applications for families and senior/disabled households.
To apply, visit the WHHA office to pick up a pre-application, located at 115 N 3rd St., West Helena, AR 72390, from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm CT, Monday-Friday.
Once the pre-application has been completed, it must be hand delivered to the address above, from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm, Monday-Friday.
Be sure to include these documents with the pre-application: Social Security Cards and birth certificates for all household members, proof of all income, and photo IDs for all adult household members.
The WHHA does have a preference for: Elderly and disabled.
Important note: Applicants will receive a confirmation number when either applying, or being placed on the waiting list, depending on housing authority policy. It is important to keep that number in a safe, easy to access place. It will be needed any time when referencing the pre-application with the housing authority.
If any application information changes from the time the original was submitted (such as contact information, income, and household members), inform the housing authority immediately. In the case that the office sends a notice that does not get returned, or if application information is out of date, the applicant's name may be terminated from the waiting list. Please contact the housing authority to find out its policy on updating pre-application information.
For more information, call the WHHA office at (870) 572-6702.
West Helena Housing Authority Public Housing Waiting List is managed by West Helena Housing Authority.
West Helena Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 244 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher programs.
This housing agency serves West Helena, Arkansas.
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.
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 West Helena Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, West Helena Housing Authority was managing 480 Public Housing units. Of the total number of units managed, there were 379 units occupied. This represents 79% of the total number of Public Housing units managed by West Helena Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 726 people living in Public Housing units managed by West Helena Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 379 households living in Public Housing units at the start of 2024 waited on average 3 months before being able to move in. Of those households, 87 occupied their unit in the last year. This represents 23 percent of Public Housing tenants in units managed by West Helena Housing Authority.
The West Helena Housing Authority Public Housing program that this waiting list covers had 79% of its units occupied by households with 21% unoccupied at the start of 2024.
Of the 379 Public Housing households in units managed by West Helena Housing Authority, 187 have at least one child. There are 5 two-parent households in the West Helena Housing Authority Public Housing units, and 182 single-parent households. There were 178 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for West Helena Housing Authority Public Housing tenant households is $15,819 The average annual income per person is $8,280 The average Public Housing household annual income is 32% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 4 | 1% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 110 | 29% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 133 | 35% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 42 | 11% |
| $20,000+ | 95 | 25% |
Of all Public Housing households, 163 (34%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 317 (66%) households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
For the West Helena Housing Authority Public Housing program, the federal government covers the cost of, on average, $730 per month for each household, which equates to annual cost of $8,760.
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the West Helena Housing Authority Public Housing program, the average family expenditure is $310 per month or $3,720 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $117,490 per month, which is $1,409,880 per year.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $140 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 480 households living in Public Housing units, 167 (44%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 129 (34%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 83 (22%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 13% of Public Housing households are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
94% of West Helena 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 | 68 | 18% |
| 25-50/td> | 167 | 44% |
| 51-61 | 49 | 13% |
| 62-84 | 95 | 25% |
| 85 or Older | 0 | 0% |
Do you have little or no income?
You can qualify for most rental assistance programs, including Section 8 and Public Housing, even if you have little or no income.Sabrina Roberts says:
"Affordable Housing Online is a wonderful resource that will assist an enormous amount of people."