INDIANAPOLIS -- After two long years, the countdown is finally underway for Hoosiers to possibly win a lottery to get into much needed housing.
The last time the Section 8 waiting list was open, the Indianapolis Housing Agency received 47,000 applications.
Many, like Jeffrey Thompson, are hoping to be one of the lucky ones to get a voucher for subsidized housing.
Thompson, a single parent, has had custody of his 3 children since 2007. But he says the burden became heavier when their mother, Yolanda Williams, was found murdered near 4th and Jefferson last week.
“I told them we might be getting a bigger place and a new place. They know me. I work hard to make sure it’s done. If I don’t get Section 8, believe me, it won’t be because I haven’t done the leg work," said Thompson.
But the Thompson family is not alone in their need. “People are going house to house, living with grandma and relatives,” said Indianapolis Housing Agency Executive Director Bud Myers. “This is a chance for them to own their own homes. In some cases it will be because some families are paying exorbitant rents. In some cases 75% of their incomes.”
Voucher holders pay no more than 30% of their monthly income towards rent and utilities.
Some apartment complexes like Haciendas, located near 38th and Post Road, have refurbished units that are ready to accommodate Section 8 lottery winners.
Applications and a countdown for the lottery can be found at section8lotteryindy.com.
Families selected in the lottery will be informed by IHA by October 10.
