Tens of thousands of people have already applied for Miami-Dade County's Section 8 housing choice voucher waiting list, and the process just started on Monday.
As of 4 p.m., nearly 54,000 have applied for the program that's designed to help those who need it most in a county where rent continues to skyrocket.
"The need for affordable housing is just unfortunately booming," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levina Cava said. "We have so many who are suffering with the rents going up, and we’re really grateful that we have some vouchers ... it's not going to be enough to meet the need."
Public housing was created to offer secure and affordable rental homes for qualifying low-income families, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities.
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Only 5,000 applicants will be randomly approved. If selected, residents can use the vouchers to help pay rent at privately owned properties where rent would be subsidized by at least 70%.
There are income requirements to qualify. For example, for one person, the annual income limit is $36,150. For a family of three, the maximum income is $46,450.
The initiative is supported by federal aid through the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Local
Applications are only being accepted online and people who need help with the process can come to several locations for assistance or access to the internet. Click here for more information.
