Columbia is reopening the public housing wait list. Here’s how to apply.
The Columbia Housing Authority is reopening its public housing waiting list for the first time since 2017.
The announcement was first posted to the housing authority’s Facebook page on Sept. 1. Since then it has been shared more than 500 times.
Yvonda Bean, chief operating officer of the housing authority, said last time the wait list opened, the organization received about 5,000 applications.
“We’re reopening the list because we’ve essentially depleted all the applications we had,” she said. “Often by the time you get to the individuals at the end of the list, they’ve either found other housing or are no longer interested.”
The application will go live on the housing authority’s website at 9 a.m. on Sept. 30 and will close at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2.
There are currently 18 available public housing units in Columbia. All of the vacant units are either 3, 4 or 5 bedrooms.
When asked if she expected to receive more applications this time around due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bean said it was possible but that there was no way to be certain.
“Even without coronavirus, there is a general shortage of affordable housing in Richland County,” she said. “The fact that we typically get thousands of applications over just a few days is evidence of how great the demand is.”
Bean stressed that the application is only accessible online, but said that the housing authority is meeting with the Richland Public Library this week to try to make computers available to potential applicants who don’t have internet access.
Once the application closes, the housing authority will randomly select names from the list for further screening.
In order to qualify, applicants will have to meet certain income requirements. For instance, a family of three must make no more than $32,700.
“We’re really good about when we have vacancies, trying to turn those over in a timely manner because we usually have a significant number of people on the waiting list who are ready to move in.” Bean said.
