Finding a place to live, even with a housing voucher, is a complex process

Imagine winning the lottery and not being able to claim the money. You have the winning ticket but can't find anywhere to turn it in.

Tyrone Spates faced a similar predicament.

He won the public housing "sweepstakes." But he has spent months trying to find someone willing to hand him the keys to his first home in years, balancing feelings of excitement and hope with frustration and worry.

Spates, 53, is among the lucky few languishing on long and growing waitlists for federal housing assistance to actually get an Emergency Housing Voucher. But that ended up being just the first hurdle.

His voucher pays about $950 for a one-bedroom unit, including rent and utilities, in Polk County outside the Urban Growth Boundary of Salem. Voucher amounts vary based on income and family size.

Spates has been searching for five months for an eligible unit and until just recently, kept striking out.

Across the country, rents and home prices have skyrocketed while the housing supply has plummeted. Those with vouchers face more competition and are limited in what they can spend.

The problem is not isolated to the Willamette Valley.

A national study by the research organization Urban Institute found that even when people find potential housing, landlords are reluctant to rent to a housing voucher recipient. Criminal history, prior evictions or a lack of rental history also can be a deterrent for a potential landlord.

Many who get vouchers still never end up in a home.

Spates has been homeless since not long after moving to Salem in 2020. He has lived in a tent, at Union Gospel Mission, and in a room at two different faith-based transition houses. His most recent "home" has been a couch at one of those.

West Valley Housing Authority issued Spates the voucher in August, and he immediately began searching for a studio or one-bedroom apartment in Polk County.

"I ain't never had my own place, and now I have this opportunity," he said, a tear rolling down his cheek. "But it's close to my time running out."

Spates, recognizable in Salem for his "Jesus Loves You" street ministry, said he submitted at least a half-dozen applications. But even after receiving a 60-day extension, he still had no luck.

"I'm asking for help," he said, "but everybody's having problems."

Vouchers are hard to come by

The shortage of affordable housing continues to plague the Salem area and magnify the homelessness crisis. Low-income renters and the unhoused get hit the hardest.

Federal housing assistance is available, but the system is complex to navigate.

Housing vouchers are administered locally by public housing agencies receiving federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). West Valley Housing Authority handles the programs for Polk County and Salem Housing Authority handles them for Marion County.

The Housing Choice Voucher program, also known as the Section 8 program, provides housing assistance payments to private landlords to make the rent more affordable for an individual or family.

More than 1,000 households are on the waitlist with West Valley, based in Dallas. Executive director Christian Edelblute said his agency pulls about 100 households off the waitlist each month, with about 34 meeting eligibility requirements and receiving vouchers.

Of those obtaining new vouchers each month, he said 12-14 households are successful in finding a qualified unit.

Salem Housing Authority has 1,156 people on its Section 8 waitlist. More than 14,600 households are on the affordable housing waitlist.

At the moment, 137 households with vouchers through Salem Housing Authority are looking for housing.

There are different types of vouchers.

The Emergency Housing Voucher program is a temporary program for those who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking.

West Valley Housing Authority has a limited number of these vouchers to give, and the need is great.

The agency has received 95 referrals from the local Continuum of Care, which includes the ARCHES Project, since the emergency program launched in 2021. Twenty-four households met eligibility requirements and were issued an Emergency Housing Voucher, according to Edelblute.

Of those, four successfully signed leases.

Edelblute has worked in the industry for 22 years, including seven as executive director of West Valley Housing Authority. He said it is disheartening to see families wait two to three years to receive a voucher and then not find a place in 120 days, with a possible extension, only to have to re-apply to the waitlist.

"Most times the few, notable successes outweigh the many failures and challenges," Edelblute said.

Waiting lists are the first step of a long and complex process

Breezy Aguirre, the ARCHES program director of housing, said staff at its day center don't issue vouchers but help people navigate the complicated system. They help them understand where their voucher can be used and how to clear hurdles to stable housing.

"I think the whole process of renting is really difficult, even if you are not unsheltered," Aguirre said. "If you become unsheltered and are trying to navigate the process, it's exponentially way more difficult."

Salem Housing Authority officials said about 70% of voucher holders successfully find leases. They attribute this success, in part, to the agency's housing navigator helping families find units in their price range and assisting them in the application process.

ARCHES' tenant education program aims to help address barriers and prepare people for successful, sustainable rental history.

Participants attend five classes on how to be a good tenant, manage money and follow the rules of a lease, and what their rights are as a tenant. The participant then gets a certificate to show potential landlords and a guaranteed deposit.

Aguirre recounted one woman she knew who became homeless due to health issues. The woman had a job and was staying in a shelter. But despite working, she struggled to find an apartment due to having no rental history.

Eligible rentals are often snapped up within hours of going on the market.

The plethora of applicants means landlords can be picky about whether the potential renter has a criminal history or no rental history.

The tight rental market also means rising prices.

Rents in the region have spiked in the past decades, and renters compete for one-bedrooms under $1,000, especially in rural areas like Polk County where inventory is even more scarce.

A search on Zillow for studios and one-bedroom apartments in Salem under $975 yielded six results. The same search on Apartments.com for studios and one-bedrooms in Polk County showed three units, all in Monmouth.

"It's not just specific to individuals who are unsheltered," Aguirre said. "Overall, we've seen an uptick in folks burdened by the cost of rent. When folks are out there with a voucher with a limit … it makes it even more difficult."

Barriers, time constraints complicate process

The process has been an emotional rollercoaster for Spates.

He said he appreciates all ARCHES has done to help him along the way, including the training on being a responsible tenant. He graduated from the course in November and received a certificate valid for 18 months.

He said ARCHES also sent a letter to West Valley Housing on his behalf asking for an extension when he couldn't find an apartment in four months. Vouchers must be utilized within 120 days, although many request up to an additional 60 days if unsuccessful in finding a unit.

Spates received an extension in December.

He knows he has barriers that have impacted his search.

He has a criminal record, having served 22 years in Tennessee prison for violent crimes. He was released in 2019. Traditionally, HUD has had strict regulations on allowable criminal histories for applicants, but those have been removed or modified in recent years.

Edelblute said most housing authorities now have more flexibility in their criminal screening criteria and look more at recent history. A bigger hurdler is finding a landlord with a more flexible screening process.

Spates also has a 2022 eviction he didn't realize until recently was on his record. ARCHES helped him take care of the $281 judgment, clearing the way for him to be approved for a Monmouth apartment.

When a voucher holder does find a landlord willing to rent to them, the housing authority has to inspect the unit to determine whether it meets the voucher program's quality standards and certify the rent is "reasonable" and consistent with market rents for similar units in the area.

Once that is done, the agency will sign a contract with the landlord to make direct monthly payments to them. The landlord and the voucher holder also will sign a lease agreement.

Spates imagines everything he can do with his own apartment, just like someone dreaming of winning the lottery. To begin with, he can rely on a daily shower.

He said recently he would work at a fast food restaurant if he could, but one obstacle is showering daily. Because he has been unhoused and staying "here and there,” he couldn't depend on regular access to facilities.

Spates currently relies on selling "Jesus Loves You" T-shirts as his only income. He makes $7 to $8 profit on each one he sells. He said he is in the process of applying for Social Security Disability.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter and columnist Capi Lynn at clynn@statesmanjournal.com or reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Finding a home, even with a housing voucher, is a complex process