TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The sign up for the Section 8 waitlist has officially opened Tuesday, Jan. 3. People have until Tuesday, Jan. 24 to submit for consideration in the lottery process.
A couple of weeks ago I shared the story of a woman living in a hotel with her three kids who hoped to make the waitlist. Since then she’s made it into an apartment, so if she makes the waitlist she’ll be receiving her voucher from a home.
But that’s not the case for everyone. Some applicants are staying in a temporary shelter like Sister Jose Women’s Center. Fortunately, they’re helping their guests through the application process.
The center is seeing a high number of women seeking shelter.
“We can sleep up to 40 women every night, and their pets. And during the day we see 40-60 women. So that’s a lot of women looking for housing,” said Laura Lynn, center’s Program Director.
The center offers a housing navigation program to help their guests pre-apply for the City of Tucson Section-8 Waitlist.
“What we’re hoping is this renewal in housing applications and concern with housing, people will understand this is a safe, good place to come and try again,” said Lynn.
Once they submit their application before Jan. 24, they’ll be added to a lottery. The city expects to choose 400 this month.
But finding a landlord that accepts the voucher could be an issue. The Attorney General’s office challenged the City of Tucson's source of income ordinance.
“That will say to landlords, ‘you cannot discriminate solely based on the source of their income.’ That could be a housing choice voucher, it could be social security, veteran’s benefits, any fixed income source,” said Steve Kozachik, Ward 6 Tucson City Councilmember.
But Steve Kozachik said that’s not likely.
“It is not illegal. We will win that fight. It’s more being pestered by the state legislature, they have a history of doing this. But there is nothing illegal about the source of income law. It’s not going to fix the housing situation though, it’s a piece of a larger puzzle,” he said.
Those who are not chosen in this month's lottery can re-apply when it reopens next month.
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Reyna Preciado is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after graduating Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Reyna by emailing reyna.preciado@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or Twitter.
