If you earn a low income in King County, Washington -- for instance, the minimum wage of $8.55, as of January 2011 -- you might have trouble keeping your housing expenditure at or below 30 percent of your income. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, 30 percent of a full-time minimum wage worker's earnings equals $445, but the market rate rent for a one-bedroom apartment in King County, as of 2010, is $878. A two-bedroom goes for about $1,056. The Seattle Housing Authority provides a comprehensive slate of low-income housing options to help those who have trouble paying rent in King County.
Instructions
1. Refer to HUD's most recent income limits for the Seattle-Bellevue metropolitan area. These limits apply to King County residents. The Seattle Housing Authority offers several subsidized housing options, some sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, some not. For all programs, however, the housing authority controls admission using HUD's limits. Prior to reviewing your low-income housing options, it will be good to know where you stand in relation to HUD's income categories. You can access HUD's income limits at the agency's Data Sets website.
2. Contact the Seattle Housing Authority at (206) 239-1500. Explain your situation to a housing authority representative. He will determine which options suit you best, based on factors such as your household size, income and program availability. All programs use a waiting list; some waiting lists result in extended wait times.
3. Ask the housing authority representative if you qualify for a local preference. For example, some Seattle Housing Authority programs, such as HUD's public housing initiative, give a better wait list position to families with incomes at or below 30 percent of the Seattle-Bellevue metro area's median income.
4. Complete an application for programs for which you qualify that have open waiting lists. Your Seattle Housing Authority representative will guide you through this process. As of January 2011, you can fill out an application at the housing authority's website for public housing; Seattle's Senior Housing Program; affordable housing options at High Point, New Holly and Rainer Vista; and other properties offered via cooperation between the Seattle Housing Authority and local nonprofits and private management companies.
5. Document the information you provided on your application. When your name reaches the top of a waiting list, a Seattle Housing Authority staffer will contact you to offer rental assistance benefits. You'll need to verify income and household size using items such as paycheck stubs, tax returns, birth certificates and Social Security numbers.
Tags: Seattle Housing, Seattle Housing Authority, Housing Authority, King County, housing options, housing authority
