SHRA (www.shra.org) is a Joint Powers Agency created by the City and County of Sacramento to represent both jurisdictions for affordable housing and community redevelopment needs. The Agency serves as the Housing Authority for the City and County of Sacramento and is the leading public developer of affordable housing and oversees residential and commercial revitalization activities in 15 redevelopment areas throughout the City and County. SHRA has a FY 2008 budget of $276.7 million and approximately 291 employees. The Agency owns and manages 3,144 units of public housing and is one of the largest landlords in Sacramento. SHRA also administers approximately 11,000 rental assisted vouchers per month. NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Angela Jones, Public Information Officer ABSOLUTELY NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION - (916) 440-1355 or (916) 919-3090 www.shra.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PUBLIC HOUSING WAIT LIST OPENS ONLINE MONDAY 10,000 applicants will be placed on the list by Computerized random selection SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - The Sacramento Housing Authority will open the wait list for the Public Housing program (non-HCV/Section 8) from Monday, August 11, 2008, through Friday, August 22, 2008. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit pre-applications online at www.sacwaitlist.com from any home or public access computer. Online pre-applications may be submitted beginning at midnight (12:01 a.m.) Monday, August 11 until 11:59 p.m., Friday, August 22. Paper pre-applications are available at most Sacramento community centers and must be returned by U.S. mail postmarked no later than Friday, August 22, and received no later than Friday, September 5, 2008. Online submissions will be confirmed immediately upon receipt. 10,000 applicants will be placed on the waiting list using a computerized random selection process. The Public Housing Program provides rental assistance to help low income persons afford safe, decent housing. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides funds to the Sacramento Housing Authority to administer the program in Sacramento County. Eligible individuals or families pay a portion of their income towards the rent once they select a Public Housing unit. Currently, more than 3,100 families are housed in the Public Housing units. Families move off the program because they have become self-sufficient and no longer need the assistance, or experience a change in their life so that assistance is no longer necessary. The Housing Authority must continually pull families from the waiting list to keep the unit occupied. Soon, the Housing Authority will have served all of the eligible families on the current waiting list which closed in February 2007. - more - SHRA (www.shra.org) is a Joint Powers Agency created by the City and County of Sacramento to represent both jurisdictions for affordable housing and community redevelopment needs. The Agency serves as the Housing Authority for the City and County of Sacramento and is the leading public developer of affordable housing and oversees residential and commercial revitalization activities in 15 redevelopment areas throughout the City and County. SHRA has a FY 2008 budget of $276.7 million and approximately 291 employees. The Agency owns and manages 3,144 units of public housing and is one of the largest landlords in Sacramento. SHRA also administers approximately 11,000 rental assisted vouchers per month. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) HOUSING AUTHORITY OPENS WAIT LIST FOR PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAM (NON-HCV/SECTION 8) 1. How do families apply for housing assistance? The best way to apply is to go to http://www.sacwaitlist.com to submit your application electronically. The application will be submitted immediately and you will receive a confirmation number that is your receipt. You can keep this confirmation number as proof that your application was submitted. You can submit an electronic application from any computer with Internet access (in your home or computers are available at libraries throughout the County for your use at no charge). Paper applications are available at the following locations: Coloma Community Center, 4623 T Street, Sacramento Cordova Recreation and Park District, 2197 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova Fruitridge Community Center, 4000 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento Fulton-El Camino Recreation and Parks District, 2201 Cottage Way, Sacramento Hart Senior Center, 915 – 27th Street, Sacramento North Highlands Community Center, 6040 Watt Avenue, North Highlands Oak Park Community Center, 3425 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Sacramento Pannell Meadowview Community Center, 2450 Meadowview Rd, Sacramento Rio Linda/Elverta Recreation and Park District, 810 Oak Lane, Rio Linda Robertson Community Center, 3525 Norwood Avenue, Sacramento South Natomas Community Center, 2921Truxel Road, Sacramento Sunrise Recreation and Park District, 7801 Auburn Boulevard, Citrus Heights Applications cannot be turned it in at any of the SHRA offices. All applications must be mailed to the address listed on the application. If you mail it, it must be postmarked by midnight August 22 and received by September 5, 2008. 2. How will the applications be sorted? All applicants will be placed in order according to a computerized random selection. The Housing Authority will use this process to create a waiting list of 10,000 families. All families who apply will be notified in November 2008 whether they were selected or not selected for the waiting list. 3. If I turn in my application first, will I be assisted first? No. It is not first-come-first-served. Applicants are placed in an order determined by computerized selection. # # #