News Release

Nov. 29, 2023 — Tukwila

With more than 22,000 households waiting as of Nov. 1, 2023, King County Housing Authority (KCHA) has decided to temporarily close its waiting list for subsidized housing (i.e. public housing and other site-based programs) on Dec. 15.

While it’s common practice among housing authorities to routinely open and close waiting lists, KCHA has historically kept its waiting list open-ended. With an average wait time currently exceeding five years, KCHA will now suspend its list.

During this temporary closure, KCHA plans to review and refine its policies and procedures related to the waiting list, train staff and transition to new housing-management software. All of this will position KCHA to improve its service to applicants going forward. Still, our region’s housing needs will continue to exceed capacity.

“Keeping the waiting list open indefinitely can create unrealistic expectations for people seeking housing in our community,” said Anneliese Gryta, chief operating officer and executive vice president of housing operations at KCHA. “The temporary closure reflects the reality that accessing affordable housing in King County is exceedingly difficult because the demand, even for those eligible, exceeds supply by a large margin.”

Households with an annual income at or below 80 percent of the area median income (AMI) are eligible for subsidized housing. Additional attributes qualify families for waiting list preference:

• Household income at or below 30 percent of AMI
• Homeless, or at risk of losing housing
• Living in substandard-condition housing
• Paying more than 50 percent of household income on rent and utilities

“Our community is in a housing crisis,” Gryta said. “We want to do absolutely everything we can do to help, and we want our neighbors to know the need is great, and more options are going to continue to be necessary.”

KCHA plans to use this period of temporary closure to transition to a new software system. Among other anticipated improvements, a new online application will streamline the application process. KCHA processes more than 500 applications each month and houses between 300 and 500 households each year.

Current applicants will receive ample notice to respond to any required updates. KCHA’s dedicated staff will continue to be available to assist applicants during this transition. The waiting list will reopen once the software conversion and restructuring are successfully completed.

KCHA’s waiting list for Section 8 voucher-supported housing is also closed until further notice. Additional types of housing, such as Other Rental Housing and Moderate-Income Housing, remain available to those who qualify.

More information and updates can be found at www.kcha.org/housing. The Central Applications Center can be reached by email at centralapplications@kcha.org and by phone at 206-574-1248. Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program inquiries can be directed to 206-214-1300.