Wyoming Section 8 Programs

What are the Programs of Wyoming Section 8? Any government must do everything to ensure the population’s welfare. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to provide every citizen with a decent and safe roof over their heads. In the USA, there are many social programs intended to assist low-income families and prevent homelessness.

The ways in which these programs are implemented may differ. It is possible to perform them in the form of such affordable housing options as public housing, rental assistance, and subsidized housing.

Section 8 is a government policy intended to provide housing assistance to vulnerable social groups. This article presents some information on the work of low-income housing programs in Wyoming.

Implementation of affordable housing in Wyoming

There are two Section 8 housing programs operating in Wyoming under the supervision of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Housing Choice Voucher Program

The Housing Choice Voucher Program is a part of the Section 8 policy aimed at assisting families with the earnings falling short of paying for the rent of housing where they already live. The program provides rental assistance to such households and offers them several alternatives to affordable housing.

According to this rental assistance, the household pays a landlord only 30% of its income. The rest amount of the rental payment is paid by Section 8.

Public Housing Low-Rent Program

This part of Wyoming Section 8 is intended for people with extremely low incomes. Usually, these are the homeless, the elderly, or disabled persons.

However, one should meet the qualification requirements established by the Wyoming Housing Commission and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Low-income limits established in Wyoming

As has been said above, the program establishes three categories of housing needs. The categories are defined by the estimation of income level, household size, and the region where the applicants live. Low-income limits applied in Wyoming are described below.

Extremely low-income (ELI) households

This category covers households with earnings not exceeding 30 percent of the median level accepted in a particular region. In Wyoming, in 2024, the extremely low income amount varies between approximately $15,750.00 – $40,890.00.

Very low-income (VLI) households

This category includes households with an income ranging between 30 and 50 percent of the median level. Concerning Wyoming, the earnings of this category of population vary between $26,250.00 and $50,600.00, depending on the county they live in.

Low-income households

The low-income household belongs to a category that covers the part of the population with a household income not exceeding 80% of AMI (area median income) and earnings ranging between approximately $41,950.00 and $80,950.00. They usually are subject to assistance from the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Actually, the distinction between the above-mentioned categories is relative. Such differentiation is required for government authorities to conduct a thorough analysis and estimation of the poverty level with due regard not only to earnings but also to household size and disabled family members to determine the households with the most urgent need for housing.

Primary requirements for applicants

Other requirements established for applicants seeking low-income housing relate to their social status. Section 8 program in Wyoming, as well as all other housing programs in the USA, sets out the requirements concerning obligatory American citizenship and the absence of criminal background.

Citizenship requirements

Low-income housing within the framework of the Wyoming Section 8 Program, as well as any affordable housing programs in the USA, is available only for U.S. citizens and permanent residents of Wyoming. Additionally, the exception may be provided to specific categories of non-citizens of the USA.

The above relates to all family members.

However, such exceptions are subject to specific consideration by Wyoming authorities.

Requirements concerning biographic information

These requirements don’t relate to the biography of an applicant as a whole. They involve the criminal background of all household members.

If the background check reveals that an applicant was involved in criminal behavior in the past, all members of his/her family are subject to immediate disqualification.

If an applicant or any member of his/her family has debts unpaid to Wyoming or any other housing authority, all his/her household will be disqualified immediately.

Process of application filing for affordable housing in Wyoming

All issues raised in the above discussion relate mainly to the requirements established for applicants. Now let’s proceed with the application process itself.

That is, upon due consideration of the criteria established in Wyoming, you will be offered the various types of housing support to apply for. There are several affordable housing options offered by Wyoming Section 8, including but not limited to public housing, rental assistance, or subsidized housing.

To begin the application process, it is recommended, firstly, to contact a housing authority in the area where you want to live. In the housing authority offices, you will receive instructions on the completion of the application form and the required documents. Housing applications can be submitted to any local housing authority in Wyoming.

Housing authorities in Wyoming

Several city and county branches of housing authorities provide housing services to the population in Wyoming. In the capital of Wyoming, the Cheyenne Housing Authority deals with the Wyoming Section 8 program. There are housing authorities in Rock Springs, Casper, Gillette, Fremont, Uinta, and Laramie.

The regional authorities administer Section 8 housing programs under the guidance of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Wyoming Housing Commission.

Details about all Wyoming housing authorities can be found in a comprehensive database: http://OfficialHousingAuthority.com.

Form and rules for application filing

The application form contains information concerning identity, citizenship, household income level, family size, and some other data proving your right to apply for rental assistance. Ultimately, the applicant shall submit:

• ID photo
• Certificate of birth
• Citizenship document
• Social Security card

However, this list may vary depending on the requirements established by a particular regional authority. Sometimes, the housing authority requests some other papers to verify your eligibility or contact your employer or bank directly.

Also, the applicant may be asked to sign a consent form for giving access to personal data required for processing your application.

Upon submission of the application and all documents, the seeker shall contact the relevant public housing authority. The form of contact may be in person, by mail, or online. It depends on the procedure of a local housing organization.

When the processing of the application and other documents is completed, the applicant is invited to the office of Section 8 for an interview and to get further instructions concerning the next steps, depending on the affordable housing options for which they apply.

Waiting list

The authority responsible for the housing program decides whether the applicant is eligible upon complete processing of the application. In case of a positive decision and approval, an applicant is included in the waitlist (or the waiting list).

The waiting list is intended to determine the degree of a family’s need for rental assistance and establish priorities among the applicants.

There are eight types of waiting lists: six for public housing and two for the Housing Choice Voucher Program. Once the households are placed on a waiting list, they have to wait for a suitable rental unit or other types of dwelling.

The waiting period depends on the housing availability in the county. Recently, the increasing demand for quality housing and the growing need for rental assistance in some counties have made the waiting list longer.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve considered only a few issues of housing programs in Wyoming by making a general review of rental assistance forms, the policy accepted for the rental unit provision, requirements for placing on a waiting list, and so on.

More details are available on the websites of relevant government organizations. However, the main idea I would like to put before the readers is that there is a huge number of people struggling for decent life conditions which are impossible without decent housing.

The priority goal of any government is to provide affordable housing for all population groups and prevent homelessness.

Frequently Asked Questions