Demand Remains High For Affordable Housing In Oakland
OAKLAND (KCBS) – The need for affordable housing was never more evident than on Tuesday, when a line of Section 8 applicants snaked through the Oakland Main Library.
The last time the Oakland Housing Authority took applications for Section 8 vouchers, or federal rental assistance, was in 2006. But now, the city is accepting applications through Saturday, with help and computers available at three Oakland libraries.
"When you have people showing up at public libraries throughout Oakland, lining up just to use a computer to get their chance of getting a voucher," said Eric Johnson, the Executive Director of the Oakland Housing Authority. "You realize what the real pent up need is. Over the course of the past two years, a lot of families have been really hard hit."
KCBS' Margie Shafer Reports:
10,000 applicants will be selected from an expected pool of 100,000 for eligibility screening.
Monique Griffin was among the applicants in line. She has found it hard to make ends meet on a retail salary, with a five-year-old son.
"It really is hard to try to scrape, hoping to find some pennies in the couch or something," she said. "Just to be able to do certain things."
A family of three whose annual income does not exceed $40,650 could qualify for the federal program.
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