Interested? NJ is holding an affordable housing lottery

If you’re looking for a chance to find more affordable housing in New Jersey, this could be for you.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Division of Housing and Community Resources will soon begin accepting pre-applications for the statewide Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Waiting list.

The federally-funded program run by DCA provides housing subsidies to Garden State residents to help them find decent, safe, and sanitary housing.

When to apply

Starting at 9 a.m. Jan. 17 until 5 p.m. Feb. 3, people can go online here to submit a preliminary application to be entered into a lottery to get on the waiting list for a Section 8 voucher that can be used for statewide housing.

The Section 8 Program is so in-demand that all pre-applications will be selected through a random lottery.

A release from DCA states a total of 20,000 households will be picked, but preferences include veterans and their spouses, people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence survivors, local residents, and people with disabilities.

Affordable housing a priority

Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who is also the DCA commissioner, said New Jersey is committed to making housing affordable.

“We are always proud to partner with the federal government on Section 8 and other programs focused on providing stable housing, which is so fundamental to people’s quality of life.”

Applicants have to be at least 18 years old to apply or be an emancipated minor. An email address is required to apply. If an applicant does not have one, they can create an email address during the pre-application process.

Affordable housing lottery winners will be notified via email, which may take several weeks, and applicants can also check their status after Feb. 24, online at www.WaitlistCheck.com/NJ559. At the time of their selection, they must meet the income limits of the county where they want to live and provide proof of residency.

The DCA states the Section 8 HCV pre-application is available in 90 languages, which can be found here.

If an applicant is disabled and needs assistance with submitting their pre-application during the open enrollment period, they can contact DCA at 609-292-4080 and select Option 9 from the menu from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week to request a reasonable accommodation.

For more information, http://www.nj.gov/dca/

David Matthau is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at david.matthau@townsquaremedia.com

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