MESA, AZ — For the first time in more than five years, the City of Mesa opened its Section 8 Housing Voucher program.
More than 4,000 people applied to be part of the waitlist just an hour and a half after the city opened its doors, showing just how needed affordable housing is.
In total, the city said it received 8,200 applications in one day. They originally expected 10,000 applications to be received in two weeks.
The application process will remain open through August 30.
When the city opened applications in 2016, Mary Brandon, the deputy director of community services says 7,000 people applied. The city just finished giving away all those vouchers; that is why the waitlist is now reopening after five years.
Many waited in the parking lot since 7 a.m. for doors to open at 10 a.m.
“That’s telling me there’s a huge need throughout. We’ve got people here from Phoenix, Chandler, not just Mesa residents in our office.,” Brandon said.
Betty Goodwin drove from Tolleson to see if she can get help to apply. She told ABC15 her rent went up another $600 in the last month on top of other increases in the last few years.
“It’s very much needed because I want to keep a roof over my head. There’s so many homeless people and I don’t want to be homeless, and I want to have a roof over my head,” she said.
Carol Martin waited in the lobby for her number to be called. She said she needs a housing voucher so she can find another place to live.
“I was working and stuff, so I was doing okay,” she said of her situation a few years ago. “Now, I’m not working, so I’m on disability. So, I need to find something cheaper.”
The City of Mesa isn’t the only one with a long waitlist with thousands of people. The City of Chandler said it opened its waitlist in January 2020 and still has more than 3,200 people waiting.
In the City of Phoenix, there are more than 16,000 people on the waiting list. A spokesperson said it’s an estimated three-to-five-year wait to get into the voucher program.
For the City of Scottsdale, it opened its waitlist in June 2017, receiving more than 8,300 applicants.
The City of Mesa’s housing voucher waitlist allows anyone to apply, according to Brandon. However, she said not everyone will be eligible.
When a person applies and is on the waitlist, the city will go through the list and do a background check. They look at the applicant’s eligibility, which families cannot have more than 50% of the area median income. For a family of four, that would be $44,150. When a person does get a voucher, Brandon said they need to live in Mesa for the first year.
“I wouldn’t mind moving if that’s what I had to do, I would have to do that,” Goodwin said.
The city said it will also do a lottery for 4,000 people to help process applicants and give out vouchers faster.
“That will make the waiting list about a three year, at the most, somebody will be waiting. That way we can open it more often,” Brandon said.
Brandon said they do have more staff to help process applications. It expects to go through that 4,000 applicant random lottery over the next three years.
“The remaining 6000 can reapply again in 3 years when we expect the waitlist to reopen,” the city said.
Applications are being accepted through August 30 at 5 p.m. The city also reminds residents that if they do need rental assistance, they can apply for the city’s emergency rental assistance program.
