Analysis by Nathan Brunet
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Adams County Housing Authority (ACHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently open on a limited basis, since at least February, 2019, until further notice.
Please note: According to the ACHA, "You must meet one of the following preferences in order to be eligible to apply." A list of the preferences can be found here.
There are two ways to apply:
Once the printed application has been completed, it must be either:
The following documentation is required to apply: Proof of social security number for all household members, copy of birth certificate for all household members 17 years of age and younger, state/government issued photo driver's license or photo identification card for all household members 18 years of age or older, proof of current income and proof of preference for which the household is applying. More information about acceptable documentation needed at time of application can be found here.
Income limit information can be found here.
This waiting list has the following preferences: displaced from a residence in Adams County, Pennsylvania as a result of an emergency which has been declared a disaster, homeless households who are residing in Adams County but 'living on the street" or are staying in shelters, persons who live or work locally, family unification where lack of housing is a primary factor in the separation or threat of imminent separation of children from their families.
Selected applicants will be placed on the waiting list by date and time, by order of preferences.
For more information, visit the ACHA website here.
The application may be completed in person at 40 East High Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325.
The application may be mailed to Adams County Housing Authority, 40 East High Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325.
The application may be faxed to (717) 334-8326.
Adams County, Pennsylvania has preferences for: Displaced by Natural Disaster, Live, Work, or Attend School Locally, Homeless, Live in Substandard Housing, Referred by Local Assistance Program. Preferences are not required but Section 8 Voucher applicants that meet these criteria will be moved up the waiting list.
Adams County, Pennsylvania Section 8 Voucher Waiting List is managed by Adams County Housing Authority.
Adams County Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 619 low- and moderate-income households through its public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Adams County, Pennsylvania.
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 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.
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 for a voucher, you may be interested to know who already has a voucher, 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 have a Section or project-based voucher issued by Adams County Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Adams County Housing Authority was managing 642 Section 8 vouchers. Of the total number of vouchers managed, there were 539 households with a voucher. This represents 84% of the total voucher allotment for Adams County Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 926 people living in households with a Section 8 voucher issued by Adams County Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 539 households with a Section 8 voucher at the start of 2024 waited on average 7 months to receive their voucher. Of those voucher-holding households, 81 got their voucher in the last year. This represents 15 percent of voucher holders with vouchers issued by Adams County Housing Authority.
Though Section 8 voucher programs are over-subscribed across the nation with all programs having a waiting list, each month, each housing agency managing vouchers has vouchers that are not issued to renters. This can result from turnover in the program if someone with a voucher buys a home, sees an increase in their income, passes away, or otherwise discontinues the use of their voucher.
The time it takes to transfer voucher funding from one recipient to another can be many months. Managing the Section 8 waiting list, qualifying new voucher holders, and approving new homes or apartments takes time. In addition, in some areas, there is an extreme housing shortage or landlords may refuse to rent to persons using a Section 8 voucher to pay their rent. This results in longer than usual ramp-up times for new voucher holders.
The Adams County Housing Authority Section 8 HCV program that this waiting list covers had 84% of its vouchers utilized by households with 16% unutilized at the start of 2024. This means that 103 Section 8 vouchers out of a total of 642 were in processing at the time HUD reported the data.
Of the 539 Section 8 voucher-holding households with the Adams County Housing Authority, 173 have at least one child. There are 13 two-parent households in the Adams County Housing Authority voucher program, and 161 single-parent households. There were 154 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Adams County Housing Authority Section 8 Voucher holders is $17,997 The average annual income per person is $10,281 The average voucher holder earns 25% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 22 | 4% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 32 | 6% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 178 | 33% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 119 | 22% |
| $20,000+ | 189 | 35% |
Of all voucher holders, 128 (20%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 6 (1%) voucher-holding households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 488 (76%) voucher-holding households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program pays 70% of the cost of rent plus utilities for any household receiving the housing assistance.
For the Adams County Housing Authority Section 8 program, the federal government is providing, on average, $583 per month to each household, for an average annual cost of $6,996. The program as a whole is paying landlords $314,237 per month, for an annual economic benefit to landlords of $3,770,844
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the Section 8 tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Adams County Housing Authority Section 8 HCV programs, the average family expenditure is $436 per month or $5,232 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $235,004 per month, which is $2,820,048 per year.
The average total rent paid to Section 8 landlords is $1,019 per month which includes payment contributed by both tenant households and the federal government. This is a program-wide rent average across all bedroom size rentals.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $133 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 642 households with a Section 8 voucher, 264 (49%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 173 (32%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 102 (19%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 17% of Housing Choice Voucher recipients are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
21% of Adams County Housing Authority Section 8 HCV 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 | 11 | 2% |
| 25-50/td> | 167 | 31% |
| 51-61 | 124 | 23% |
| 62-84 | 216 | 40% |
| 85 or Older | 22 | 4% |
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.Karen Grim says:
"I like Affordable Housing Online because it is easier to navigate than other websites that waste a lot of my time."