Low-income housing in Portland, OR
June 26, 2015 8:50 AM Subscribe
I'm moving to Portland, OR and looking for low-income housing, as I am on SSDI. Not just talking about Section 8 but all income-restricted apartments. Many have waiting lists of around 2 years or more--are there any that may have shorter lists? Plus I'm not sure if there are certain mgmt companies to avoid. Also, is there some sort of tenant center that would be a good resource? I am looking for a 1 BR but a studio is also fine.
You may want to contact local legal aid organizations [MeFi Wiki] to find out if there is any way to accelerate your placement on the Section 8 lists and to ask if they can make referrals to other housing options and resources.
Links to a variety of rental assistance programs are available at the MeFi Wiki Homeless Survival Guide.
posted by Little Dawn at 9:42 AM on June 26, 2015
Links to a variety of rental assistance programs are available at the MeFi Wiki Homeless Survival Guide.
posted by Little Dawn at 9:42 AM on June 26, 2015
Best answer: I would recommend contacting Home Forward (which used to be the Housing Authority of Portland) directly and talking to them about what your options are.
Different areas have different eligibility criteria for income-restricted / subsidized apartments, and it is a good idea to check with Home Forward before you move. For example, I don't live in Portland, but subsidized housing in my area highly prioritizes people who have already lived in the community for a year or longer--it would be very difficult for someone who isn't currently living here to qualify for income-restricted housing. There are other places, though, where everyone on the waitlist is ranked equally.
Lastly, this isn't a direct answer to your question, but I wanted to mention that in light of some of your previous questions, if you decide to apply for subsidized housing you should be prepared to file a reasonable accommodation request when you are being screened for eligibility. Many housing authorities and providers of income-restricted housing required detailed housing histories and will contact former landlords to ask about how you were as a tenant. Many also have eligibility restrictions for people with recent evictions.
In your case, a reasonable accommodation request will ask the housing authority or provider to accept documentation that past tenancy issues or negative landlord references were due to your disability, and should not be held against you. I think you will easily be able to prove this, but you should be prepared.
(I am a housing advocate, but IANYHA.)
posted by cimton at 9:51 AM on June 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
Different areas have different eligibility criteria for income-restricted / subsidized apartments, and it is a good idea to check with Home Forward before you move. For example, I don't live in Portland, but subsidized housing in my area highly prioritizes people who have already lived in the community for a year or longer--it would be very difficult for someone who isn't currently living here to qualify for income-restricted housing. There are other places, though, where everyone on the waitlist is ranked equally.
Lastly, this isn't a direct answer to your question, but I wanted to mention that in light of some of your previous questions, if you decide to apply for subsidized housing you should be prepared to file a reasonable accommodation request when you are being screened for eligibility. Many housing authorities and providers of income-restricted housing required detailed housing histories and will contact former landlords to ask about how you were as a tenant. Many also have eligibility restrictions for people with recent evictions.
In your case, a reasonable accommodation request will ask the housing authority or provider to accept documentation that past tenancy issues or negative landlord references were due to your disability, and should not be held against you. I think you will easily be able to prove this, but you should be prepared.
(I am a housing advocate, but IANYHA.)
posted by cimton at 9:51 AM on June 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Ah, one other thing: do you know what the waitlist is like for a Section 8 voucher in your current community? If it turns out that Portland prioritizes current residents on their low-income housing waitlists, it might be worth applying for the Section 8 waitlist where you live now. You may have higher priority on your home community's waitlist, and the nice thing about Section 8 vouchers is that they are federally funded and you can use one to rent a unit anywhere in the country, including Portland.
posted by cimton at 9:58 AM on June 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by cimton at 9:58 AM on June 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
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One thing you might consider (if it would work for you) is living across the Columbia River in Vancouver, WA. My sense is the housing market is not nearly so tight there -- my partner has a house that she put up on the market last year -- we got no offers and now have tenants in it in a "rent-to-own" arrangement. Traffic from Vancouver into Portland during morning rush hour is bad and vice versa on the evening. Also, while there are buses from Vancouver to Portland, the light rail system (Max) does not run up to Vancouver.
Another option might be to live in a suburb. If being close to public transportation, the Max light rail system is pretty widespread and expanding (Orange line). I work in Beaverton (west of Portland) and my sense is housing is more available out here. Certainly there are a lot of vacant office parks!
posted by elmay at 9:21 AM on June 26, 2015