RoxanneThen keep reading, as we will reveal multiple ways to find affordable apartments fast, whether you have a Section 8 voucher or not.
What’s one thing that many people are looking for right now? Programs that help with rent since housing costs and other expenses seem to be spiraling out of control. Section 8 (aka the Housing Choice Voucher Program) is a perfect example, as it can limit your rent costs to just 30 percent of your income. If that still seems high, know that about one in four low income households spend well over 50 percent of what they make to their landlords each month, which classifies them as “rent-burdened.” So when you look at it that way, it makes sense why Section 8 and similar programs that help with rent are so popular.
While Section 8 and other government housing programs can cut your out-of-pocket rent expenses, they present a common problem: Time. Unless it’s emergency help with housing (which is hard to find right now), you will typically need a ton of time to actually reap the rewards of government housing programs like Section 8. This is why we came up with this quick guide to make it easier to find affordable apartments faster without necessarily having to apply for programs that help with rent.
Follow the tips in this guide, and you should be able to find those cheap rentals in the safe neighborhoods that you desire. But if you cannot due to high demand, we will also share ways to accelerate the Section 8 process so you can get your Housing Choice Voucher within months instead of years.
Outline:
- How To Accelerate The Section 8 Process
- Quickly Find Low Income Apartments Without A Voucher
How To Accelerate The Section 8 Process
Before we jump into our tips on finding affordable apartments fast without applying to government housing programs, let’s discuss how to speed up the Section 8 process. Why? Because Section 8 is a dependable way to get long-term help with housing and provide your family with the stability they need to flourish. Ideally, you would not need a Section 8 voucher to make rent budget-friendly, but if you can qualify for the program, it can’t hurt to apply for its benefits.
How do you apply for a Section 8 voucher? By contacting your local Public Housing Agency (PHA). Doing so can help you connect with an affordable housing counselor that can determine your eligibility and ensure your application is completed correctly. Your counselor can also help you find apartments or single family homes for rent that accept Section 8 once your voucher becomes available so you can move into your new place.
When do Section 8 vouchers typically become available? That depends on the demand for low income apartments in your location. The typical Section 8 wait time hovers around one to two years. Some applicants, however, claim they were told the wait would be ten years.
Such lengthy wait times show why Section 8 does not qualify as emergency help with housing. There is one way to turn those months of waiting into years, though: Waitlist preferences. A Section 8 preference is a circumstance that can push you past others on the waitlist. Here are some examples:
- Paying more than 30 percent of your monthly income on rent
- Displaced from your home by a government action like code enforcement
- Displaced from your home by a natural disaster
- Experiencing domestic violence or some other form of abuse
- Living in a home that is unsafe, lacks heating or cooling, does not have a kitchen, etc. (aka substandard housing)
- Receiving disability benefits or being unable to live independently due to your condition
- Being homeless (living with your friends or family does not qualify)
Do any of those Section 8 preferences apply to your situation? Then you can use them to get your Housing Choice Voucher faster. Best of all, you can stack preferences if more than one applies to you to reduce your wait even more.
Waitlist preferences are assigned point totals to each, with some worth more than others. It is also worth noting that your Public Housing Agency may have more or fewer preferences than the ones listed above. When completing your Housing Choice Voucher application, do not forget to reveal any preferences to your counselor. Once they list them in your file, you can likely look forward to getting your voucher much quicker than others. And once you get your voucher, you can take the exciting step to start looking for apartments and single family homes for rent that accept Section 8.
Are waitlist preferences the only way to get a Section 8 voucher quicker? No, as you can apply to multiple waitlists or PHAs until you find one that operates at the speed you desire. With some large cities having over 50 waitlists and smaller cities having around 10, you should have many options at your disposal to accelerate the process.
Quickly Find Low Income Apartments Without A Voucher
If you need reliable help with housing that can lower your rent and make more room in your limited budget, you can’t go wrong with Section 8. But as mentioned, it can take a while to get your Section 8 voucher, even if you have waitlist preferences in your favor.
Does this mean you are out of luck when it comes to finding affordable apartments fast? No, because as we are about to show you, there are multiple ways to find cheap rentals without a voucher. And, depending on the contacts you make, you could enjoy similar savings to Section 8 without having to wait so long.
Find Cheap Rentals Through Search Engines
We list this tip for quickly finding affordable housing first, even though it is not your best option. Why mention it first, then? Because you may be inclined to use search engines before anything else since they can produce results in seconds.
Why are search engines not your best option? Because they could have outdated or inaccurate information that leads you down the wrong path, which can confuse you and waste your time. And since scammers know that so many people are desperate for affordable housing, they’ve littered search engines with links leading to scams that can steal your cash or identity.
If you want to hit search engines to look for cheap rentals on your own, go for it. Just be careful when looking through the results, and stick to reputable sites, if possible.
How can you find low income apartments using search engines? By typing in such phrases as “low income housing near me” or “affordable housing” plus your desired location.
Contact Your Public Housing Agency For Cheap Rentals
One of the main problems with using search engines to find affordable housing is that they can lead you to scams. You won’t have that problem if you contact your Public Housing Agency, though, as its counselors are approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and are there to provide trustworthy rental assistance.
While the counselors at your PHA are typically used to helping people apply for Section 8 or other forms of federal rental assistance, they may also know of affordable housing buildings in your area. Ask your local counselor for a list of these buildings so you can contact their managers directly via email or phone.
What should you say when contacting them? Your main goal is to find units that charge 30 percent of income for rent. If that 30 percent number sounds familiar, that’s because it is the same income percentage used by Section 8. In other words, if a building has units that charge 30 percent of income for rent, that could mean that it accepts those with Section 8 vouchers. But even better, it could mean that it offers those units and savings to tenants like you without needing a voucher, which could help you cut rent costs without having to apply to Section 8 and wait months or years to fix your finances.
To see if an affordable housing building has units that offer such savings, use the following scripts that you can tweak to your liking:
Email script:
Dear (property manager’s name),
I noticed that your building houses low income families. I would like to learn more about what it takes to become a tenant.
Does your building have units that charge 30 percent of income for rent? If yes, are you currently accepting applications? How long is your waitlist?
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
(Your name)
Phone script:
Hello,
I was wondering if you have any units in your building that charge 30 percent of income. If you do, how can I apply to become a tenant, and how long is your waitlist?
(You can also ask questions about if the building allows kids, how many bedrooms the units have, etc.)
Could I set up an interview and fill out an application?
Thank you.
Again, you do not have to use those scripts word-for-word. The aim is to ask about the availability of units that charge 30 percent of income so you can get affordable housing fast without a voucher.
Find Affordable Rentals With This HUD Tool
If you are curious about cheap rentals in your area and want to see what’s available without contacting your PHA, try the HUD Resource Locator. It’s an official government housing assistance tool with one primary purpose: To help low income people get free housing assistance.
When you visit the HUD Resource Locator’s homepage using the link above, you will see the many ways in which the tool accomplishes that primary goal. Your best bet to find low income apartments is to use the first option on the homepage: “Find Affordable Housing Opportunities Near Me.” Click on it, and you will be shown a map of your current location and all the affordable housing in the area. This map will use your device’s GPS, so if you want to find cheap rentals somewhere beyond your current location, enter the city or address in the field near the top of the page.
For the purpose of this article, let’s say our location is Pompano Beach, Florida. A quick look at Pompano’s map shows several different-colored icons. Each represents a different type of affordable housing resource. For instance, on one street, there is a yellow icon representing a Public Housing Authority (Agency). Click on it, and you can see more information, such as the name, address, telephone number, and email address. Below that, there is information on what the Public Housing Authority can provide. In the case of the Housing Authority of Pompano Beach, you can contact them to find out more about the Housing Choice Voucher Program, public housing, rental assistance, and more.
The same map shows that down the street from the Public Housing Authority is low income housing, indicated by a purple icon. Clicking on the icon displays the name and contact information for the building and the number of affordable units according to the number of bedrooms in each. This can give you a quick indication if the building has units big enough for your family.
As you move around your area’s map, make a list of all the affordable housing buildings. Jot down their phone numbers and email addresses, and then contact each using the phone or email scripts listed above or something similar.
If the manager says yes, you could minimize your out-of-pocket rent (and possibly utilities) expenses to just 30 percent of what you make. And while those savings are great, the fact that you could get them without needing to apply for Section 8 benefits or wait months or years for your spot on the waitlist to come up is even better.
