The city's housing authority will be accepting applications for low-income home renters for the first time since 2011.According to a news release from the Chester Housing Authority, low-income families, senior citizens and the disabled will have until Nov. 30 to submit an application to lease a home through the CHA.
"The shortage of affordable housing has become more acute in recent years," CHA Executive Director Steven A. Fischer stated in the release. "When you compound the federal funding cutbacks for housing with the devastating effects the recession left behind for poor people, it just makes the need that much greater. I
n Chester, that means the length of time between when we can accept applications keeps expanding."After applying, a family will be notified via mail that their information has been received. Then it may take anywhere from six months to a few years on the waiting list before a unit becomes available for lease. Once an applicant reaches the top of the waiting list, their information will be confirmed, including financial checks and credit and criminal reports for everyone over the age of 18 on the application, according to the release.CHA has seen marked improvement over the past 25 years.
A federal lawsuit filed by CHA residents in the early 1990s led to a receivership from which the authority emerged earlier this year. According to the release, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has given the CHA the highest ratings in its history. The ratings include the authority's management, the quality of its housing and the efficiency of its voucher programs.
To apply, visit the Chester Housing Authority's website at www.chesterha.org.
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