Time running out for Miami-Dade residents seeking housing help
MIAMI - Those in need of housing help can now apply for a limited number of Section 8 vouchers in Miami-Dade County. This is the first time in three years the county has opened the application process.
The applications were made available on February 5th.
"I applied for the program," said Maria Rodriguez. She does not have a computer so Rodriguez went to one of the seven Miami Dade libraries that provide assistance to those who need help applying.
"It was easy," she said. "In less than half an hour, it was done," said Rodriguez who is a US Citizen, which is one of the prerequisites to apply.
"Once the applications are received, then there will be a waitlist, sorted electronically," said Alex Ballina, director of Miami Dade Public Housing and Community Development.
To qualify for a voucher, a family of four would need to have an income of $51,600 or less. The applications are then put into a lottery system and five thousand names are drawn for the waitlist.
The last few times the list was opened, the demand was incredibly high. According to our CBS News Miami partner The Miami Herald, the last time the list opened in 2021, the county received 96,000 applications within two weeks, with 35,000 of them filed the first day the waitlist opened.
"The person has a choice to move wherever they want, as long as they have a landlord that is willing to participate in the program," said Alex Ballina.
Things could be worse this go around with a sharp increase in housing costs since COVID and an affordability crisis.
According to findings from the University of Florida, half of the households within the county are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their salary on housing. The same report says the county has a gap of more than 90,000 affordable and available units for renter households with incomes below 80 percent of the area median income.
The application process runs through Monday, February 19, at 11:59 p.m.
Residents 18 and older who meet the income requirements can apply at miamidadevoucher.myhousing.com. Applicants will be asked for their citizenship status, Social Security number, veteran status, and disability status.
