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295 availing of NMHC’s housing voucher program
The Northern Marianas Housing Corp. has 295 families under its Housing Choice Voucher program, according to NMHC program and housing division acting manager Brian Bocago.
Quoting his latest report to the NMHC board during their meeting on Tuesday, Bocago said that of that total, 274 are on Saipan, five are on Tinian, and 16 are on Rota.
In an earlier interview, Bocago said that of the 274 on Saipan, about 267 are on island while seven were issued their vouchers on Saipan but they chose to relocate to the U.S. mainland where the voucher program is also administered.
Bocago also reported that about 304 are on the program’s wait-list: 299 on Saipan and five on Tinian.
Bocago told board members that NMHC’s Program and Housing Division issued a total of 16 vouchers in December 2014 and one applicant is still pending for an informal review.
“This round of eligibility closed out the remaining applicants from the previous waiting list and initiated the selection process from the new waiting list,” Bocago said.
NMHC can only issue up to 363 vouchers. This program is only for those availing of privately owned scattered units that are part of the program and housing division of NMHC’s Section 8 Housing Assistance Program.
It is a federal program that provides housing assistance to very low and low-income families through funding from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.
This program assists families in paying for rent, equivalent to 30 percent of their adjusted income or 10 percent of their gross income, whichever is greater. Low income families will be required to pay a minimum rent of $25 per month unless the family requests and qualifies for a waiver exemption for the minimum rent requirement.
