1,500-plus apply for housing assistance in Spartanburg

The Spartanburg Housing Authority received more than 1,500 applications for rental housing assistance during a two-week period, when the agency’s Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program waiting list was opened.

The agency received 1,519 applications Aug. 1-12 from households wanting to be put on the waiting list.

“That is clearly an indication of a need for affordable housing in Spartanburg,” said Terril Bates, executive director of the Housing Authority.

The Housing Choice Voucher program is the federal government’s major program for helping low-income families, the elderly and disabled afford safe, clean housing in the private market.

The Housing Authority receives funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to administer the voucher program in Spartanburg.

The waiting list was opened only to elderly (age 62 and older), near-elderly (ages 50-61) and disabled households.

About 859 applications were received in the first week, including about 380 households that applied online on the first day the waiting list was opened.

Tiffany Askew, the Housing Authority’s voucher program administrator, said every application will be put on the waiting list.

“I think there is a great need for affordable housing in Spartanburg, and really across the country,” Askew said. “The next step is to draw names and then those people have to come in for eligibility interviews.”