Apply This Week For Public Housing

Bay City News -- The Oakland Housing Authority today began accepting applications for its waiting list for nine different public housing sites throughout the city, a process it carries out every three years.

OHA Executive Director Eric Johnson said the application period began at 12:01 a.m. today and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday.

Here is a link to the page showing income levels and applications rules.

After the application window closes, an automated lottery system will be used to choose about 8,000 households for housing sites over the next three years. He said the lottery will be conducted by an independent third party vendor, and each completed application will be assigned a number and drawn at random.

The agency then ranks applicants by preference under its administrative policies, giving special consideration to those who are veterans, elderly, disabled or who live or work in Oakland.

The Housing Authority, for the third time, is partnering with the Oakland Public Library and community-based organizations to provide access to computers and on-site technical assistance.

Library workers are assisting applicants at the main library at 125 14th St. and seven other branches -- the Asian, Cesar Chavez, Dimond, 81st Avenue/East Oakland, Eastmont, Golden Gate and West Oakland branches. Only the main branch is open today.

"Many people depend on the library to have access to computers, and our job is to match people to computers to help make housing available," Oakland Public Library Director Carmen Martinez said. Assistance is also available at the Housing Authority's West District Office at 935 Union St. and the East District Office at 1327 65th Ave. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Johnson said people can only apply for the housing list online, and must visit www.ohawaitlist.com He said applicants can specify if they want housing in a specific neighborhood or if they will accept housing at any available location in Oakland.

Eligibility for public housing is determined by applicants' income and family size, Johnson said. Johnson said notifications of lottery winners will be sent to all applicants within 120 days of the closing of the waitlist.

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