For the first time since 2004, the Oak Park Housing Authority (OPHA) will accept pre-applications to add 150 new households to the waiting list for the Housing Choice Voucher Program that helps very-low-income households pay their monthly rent.
Formerly known as Section 8, the voucher program is a locally administrated federal initiative that helps pay a portion of the rent that exceeds about 30 percent of a qualified household’s monthly income.
The 150 new households added to the Oak Park list will be selected at random from all pre-applications received between 8:30 a.m. on Mon., March 14 and 3 p.m. on Fri., March 25.
Pre-applications will only be accepted electronically through an online portal at www.oakparkha.org. Assistance completing the online pre-application is available through social service organizations listed on the Housing Authority website.
The federally funded program uses a local preference, with 90 percent of the households on the waiting list being Oak Park residents or current or newly-hired employees of local businesses.
The program currently provides vouchers to nearly 600 households within Oak Park. More information is posted online at www.oakparkha.org.