Analysis by Ayat Elkarib
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list for Clay, Posey, and Vigo County is currently closed. It was last open for one month in January 2018. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.
There were two ways to apply during the opening period:
This waiting list had the following preferences: Residents, homeless, working 20+ hours per week, elderly, non-elderly disabled, disabled family member, persons residing in institutions such as nursing homes or at risk of institutionalization.
Selected applicants were placed on the waiting list by date and time the application was received, by order of preferences.
For more information, visit the IHCDA website.
Clay, Posey, and Vigo County, Indiana has preferences for: Elderly, Live, Work, or Attend School Locally, Working/Employed, Homeless, Disabled. Preferences are not required but Section 8 Voucher applicants that meet these criteria will be moved up the waiting list.
Clay, Posey, and Vigo County, Indiana Section 8 Voucher Waiting List is managed by Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority provides affordable housing for up to 5,717 low- and moderate-income households through its public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Clay County, Posey County, Sullivan County, Vigo County, Indiana. Service does not extend to Delaware County, Service does not extend to Fayette County, Service does not extend to Knox County, Service does not extend to Marion County, Service does not extend to Montgomery County, Service does not extend to Parke County, Service does not extend to Perry County, Service does not extend to Posey County, Service does not extend to Putnam County, Service does not extend to St Joseph County, Service does not extend to Alamo, Service does not extend to Albany, Service does not extend to Anderson, Service does not extend to Angola, Service does not extend to Bainbridge, Service does not extend to Bedford, Service does not extend to Beech Grove, Service does not extend to Bicknell, Service does not extend to Bloomfield, Service does not extend to Bloomingdale, Service does not extend to Bloomington, Service does not extend to Brazil, Service does not extend to Bruceville, Service does not extend to Cannelton, Service does not extend to Charlestown, Service does not extend to Chesterfield, Service does not extend to Clermont, Service does not extend to Cloverdale, Service does not extend to Columbus, Service does not extend to Connersville, Service does not extend to Crawfordsville, Service does not extend to Crows Nest, Service does not extend to Cynthiana, Service does not extend to Daleville, Service does not extend to Darlington, Service does not extend to Decker, Service does not extend to East Chicago, Service does not extend to Eaton, Service does not extend to Edwardsport, Service does not extend to Elkhart, Service does not extend to Elwood, Service does not extend to Emison, Service does not extend to Evansville, Service does not extend to Fillmore, Service does not extend to Fort Wayne, Service does not extend to Freelandville, Service does not extend to Fremont, Service does not extend to Gary, Service does not extend to Gaston, Service does not extend to Glenwood, Service does not extend to Granger, Service does not extend to Greencastle, Service does not extend to Greendale, Service does not extend to Griffin, Service does not extend to Hammond, Service does not extend to Heritage Lake, Service does not extend to Homecroft, Service does not extend to Huntingburg, Service does not extend to Indianapolis, Service does not extend to Indianapolis (balance), Service does not extend to Jasonville, Service does not extend to Jeffersonville, Service does not extend to Kendallville, Service does not extend to Kokomo, Service does not extend to Ladoga, Service does not extend to Lafayette, Service does not extend to Lake Holiday, Service does not extend to Lakeville, Service does not extend to Lawrence, Service does not extend to Linden, Service does not extend to Linton, Service does not extend to Marion, Service does not extend to Marshall, Service does not extend to Mecca, Service does not extend to Meridian Hills, Service does not extend to Michigan City, Service does not extend to Mishawaka, Service does not extend to Monroe City, Service does not extend to Montezuma, Service does not extend to Mount Vernon, Service does not extend to Muncie, Service does not extend to New Carlisle, Service does not extend to New Harmony, Service does not extend to New Market, Service does not extend to New Richmond, Service does not extend to New Ross, Service does not extend to North Crows Nest, Service does not extend to North Liberty, Service does not extend to Oaktown, Service does not extend to Osceola, Service does not extend to Parkers Settlement, Service does not extend to Poseyville, Service does not extend to Ragsdale, Service does not extend to Roachdale, Service does not extend to Rockville, Service does not extend to Rocky Ripple, Service does not extend to Rosedale, Service does not extend to Russellville, Service does not extend to Sandborn, Service does not extend to Selma, Service does not extend to South Bend, Service does not extend to Southport, Service does not extend to Speedway, Service does not extend to Spring Hill, Service does not extend to Tell City, Service does not extend to Terre Haute, Service does not extend to Troy, Service does not extend to Van Bibber Lake, Service does not extend to Vincennes, Service does not extend to Walkerton, Service does not extend to Warren Park, Service does not extend to Waveland, Service does not extend to Waynetown, Service does not extend to West Terre Haute, Service does not extend to Westphalia, Service does not extend to Wheatland, Service does not extend to Williams Creek, Service does not extend to Wingate, Service does not extend to Wynnedale, Service does not extend to Yorktown, Indiana.
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 request an application by phone, you must call a phone number and ask for the housing authority to send you an application. The housing authority will offer at least one way to get an application, usually by mail, email, or fax. The application must be completed and sent back to the housing authority according to their instructions.
To request an application by mail, you must send a written letter by mail that asks the housing authority to send you an application. The housing authority will offer at least one way to get an application, usually by mail, email, or fax. 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 Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
At the start of 2024, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority was managing 6,547 Section 8 vouchers. Of the total number of vouchers managed, there were 5,499 households with a voucher. This represents 84% of the total voucher allotment for Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 10,086 people living in households with a Section 8 voucher issued by Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 5,499 households with a Section 8 voucher at the start of 2024 waited on average 8 months to receive their voucher. Of those voucher-holding households, 880 got their voucher in the last year. This represents 16 percent of voucher holders with vouchers issued by Indiana Housing and Community Development 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 Indiana Housing and Community Development 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 1048 Section 8 vouchers out of a total of 6,547 were in processing at the time HUD reported the data.
Of the 5,499 Section 8 voucher-holding households with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, 1,833 have at least one child. There are 196 two-parent households in the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority voucher program, and 1,637 single-parent households. There were 1,702 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority Section 8 Voucher holders is $14,234 The average annual income per person is $8,012 The average voucher holder earns 21% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 330 | 6% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 330 | 6% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 2,475 | 45% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 1,045 | 19% |
| $20,000+ | 1,320 | 24% |
Of all voucher holders, 982 (15%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 0 (0%) voucher-holding households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 4,910 (75%) 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 Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority Section 8 program, the federal government is providing, on average, $639 per month to each household, for an average annual cost of $7,668. The program as a whole is paying landlords $3,513,861 per month, for an annual economic benefit to landlords of $42,166,332
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the Section 8 tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority Section 8 HCV programs, the average family expenditure is $357 per month or $4,284 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $1,963,143 per month, which is $23,557,716 per year.
The average total rent paid to Section 8 landlords is $996 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 $214 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 6,547 households with a Section 8 voucher, 2,255 (41%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 2,145 (39%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 1,100 (20%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 27% of Housing Choice Voucher recipients are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
24% of Indiana Housing and Community Development 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.
| Race | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% |
| Black Non-Hispanic | 1,100 | 20% |
| Native American/Alaskan | 55 | 1% |
| White Non-Hispanic | 4,180 | 76% |
| Black Hispanic | 0 | 0% |
| White Hispanic | 110 | 2% |
| Other Hispanic | 0 | 0% |
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 55 | 1% |
| 25-50/td> | 2,035 | 37% |
| 51-61 | 1,375 | 25% |
| 62-84 | 1,980 | 36% |
| 85 or Older | 55 | 1% |
Applying for housing with bad credit.
Most HUD housing programs, like Section 8 and Public Housing, do not have a credit check. But Section 8 landlords will likely require one for an available unit.Ellie Ruedas says:
"Affordable Housing Online is the best way to keep informed on housing openings."