FAQ and Information
2023 Housing Choice Voucher Waitlist Opening
Applications will be accepted online only, so you will need to use a computer or mobile device that has access to the internet. Please allow around 15 minutes of uninterrupted time to complete the online application.
Have the following information ready to submit your application:
- Full names of all household members.
- Date of birth of all household members
- Social Security numbers of all household members. If you do not have a Social Security number you can still apply. (Please see additional instructions below)
- Mailing address – This can be the address where you are currently living or a stable address where you can regularly receive mail.
- Mailing address for an agency or person that assists you (optional).
- Income information, including the source and amount of income for each household member.
- A current e-mail address or phone number.
Please note: You will be required to establish an account with the online application system, using an email address and phone number, and create a password.
The waiting list will open for online applications at 9:00 a.m. on Monday June 5, 2023. All online applications must be completed and submitted before 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 9, 2023.
The Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program serves individuals and families earning low incomes who need help paying their rent. To be eligible:
- Your household income must be 50% or less of the area median income for your household size.
- You must be 18 years of age or older at the time of application or have minor status removed (emancipated minors) by marriage or previous court order.
One member of your household must be a legal citizen or eligible immigrant.
Visit our eligibility page for more explanation.
Here on our website, www.homeforward.org. You can complete and submit the entire application online, usually in less than 15 minutes.
You can call the Home Forward waitlist hotline at 503-415-8050 for assistance with entering in your application into the online system.
No, all applications received during the waiting list opening dates will have an equal chance of being selected. We will place all applications into a lottery, and the first 2,000 randomly selected applications will be placed on the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) waiting list.
No, every household has the opportunity to apply only once. Duplicate applications will be removed from the lottery.
If you are one of the 2,000 randomly selected applicants who are placed on the waitlist, your position on the list will be determined by the number you are assigned in the lottery process. However, as we draw from the list, priority selection for Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) will be offered to people living, working, hired to work, or receiving education or training in Multnomah County, Oregon.
All eligible applications will be placed into a lottery and assigned a number through a random selection process. Numbers 1 through 2,000 will be placed on the waiting list to receive a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) over the next two to three years. Applications randomly assigned numbers 2,001 and higher will not be placed on the waiting list.
All applicants will be notified in writing of their waiting list status by September, 2023. If you are placed on the waiting list, you will be able to call the Waitlist Position Hotline at 503-415-8000 or log into the portal after September, 2023, to find out your position on the waiting list.
We need to be able to contact you by mail to offer help. Always inform Home Forward of changes to your address or contact information in writing within ten calendar days of the change. Please send written notification of changes by U.S. mail or hand deliver to Home Forward, Attention: Rent Assistance, 135 SW Ash St., Portland, OR 97204.
You can also fax your changes to 503.802.8330 or email waitlistinfo@homeforward.org
Yes, as long as at least one family member has eligible residency or legal citizenship status.
No, anyone can apply. However, if you receive a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) from Home Forward, you must use it in Multnomah County for the first 12 months. Additionally, households living, working, hired to work, or receiving education or training in Multnomah County, Oregon, will receive a preference on the waiting list and may get help paying rent earlier.
The online application requires the head of household to enter a number. If the head of household doesn’t have a Social Security number, you should fill in the space with nine numeral nines: 999999999. Please do not use any other numbers or an invalid social security number. The space for social security numbers for other members of the household may be left blank.
Creating an account: You will be required to create an account using your email address and your phone number before you can submit your application. If you do not have a phone number or an email address, you will need to create an email address. A free email account can be set up with Gmail.com, Outlook.com or Yahoo.com.
Completing your application: You can enter a temporary phone number or a friend’s or relative’s phone number. This is a required field, so if you don’t have any phone number to enter, enter the number nine ten times in the space: (999) 999-9999.
Yes, your online application will be cancelled if there is no activity for 15 consecutive minutes and you will have to start over. The application is not complete until you receive a confirmation page.
If you have not created a username and password with the application system, you will be required to do so before your application will be accepted. Once a completed application is submitted you will receive a confirmation number and an automated confirmation email to the email address you used for your log in.
We expect to receive a high number of applications and we have equipped our system for a heavy volume of traffic during the period of time the waiting list is open. We encourage applicants to complete their online form before June 9th to avoid the possibility of a last-minute rush.
We will have people ready to assist you by phone June 5th – June 9th. Just call our help line: 503-415-8050, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m
If possible, we encourage you to have a service provider, friend or family member assist you with submitting your online application. The hotline will also have staff available to assist you with completing the online application. If the online application is not accessible for you, a paper application can be sent to you.
The online application requires the head of household to enter a number. If the head of household doesn’t have a Social Security number, you should fill in the space with nine numeral nines: 999999999. Please do not use any other numbers or an invalid social security number. The space for social security numbers for other members of the household may be left blank.
Call the hotline and staff will be available assist with the online application. We want to help you complete your application over the phone to ensure everyone can meet the deadline. We will also have translation services available to help complete the application. Paper applications will be provided upon request for people who have a disability, need a translation, or who have another type of barrier to applying online.
To receive a paper application:
- Call 503-415-8050 to request that a paper application be mailed to you.
- Paper applications will be available in English, Russian, Spanish, Somali and Vietnamese.
- Paper applications must be submitted via US mail and must be postmarked on or before June 9, 2023 to be eligible.
- Mail your application to Home Forward, 135 SW Ash Street, Portland, OR, 97204. Attention: Rent Assistance.
Keep us informed if your contact information or household composition changes. Our first contact will be by mail. If we send you a letter and it gets returned, your name will be removed from the wait list. Also be on the lookout for letters that require your response. We periodically send letters asking applicants if they are still interested in being on the wait list. If you do not respond to the letter, your name will be removed from the list.
We also advise applicants to check their position on the waiting list once a month by logging into the portal or by calling 503-415-8000.
