NMHC expects increase in public housing applicants

The Northern Marianas Housing Corporation is anticipating an increase in the number of applicants to a public housing program following President Clinton’s signing into law of legislation that makes citizens of the Freely Associated States eligible for Section-8 benefits.

Housing Executive Director Marylou S. Ada said the expected increase in the number of applicants for the Section-8 Housing Program will come from citizens of Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia who have migrated to the CNMI.

Ms. Ada disclosed more than 150 families are currently on the waiting list of the federally-funded Public Housing Assistance Program, with majority of the applicants wanting to avail of the NMHC-administered units.

Currently, there are 105 families hoping to avail of the federally-funded housing benefits in NMHC housing units, and 50 others under the Voucher Certificate.

She is also wary that most of the pending applicants may have to wait longer because of the fact that the turnover rate for public housing, especially among those living in NMHC-managed units, has been traditionally low.

“The turnover rate for public housing is very, very low. The more people who remain [in public housing], the less people that we move in and this, as the waiting list is increasing faster,” Ms. Ada told an interview.

Turnover rate for the Section-8 Public Housing Assistance Program is four years, which means recipients normally move out of the program after a period four years.

She emphasized that the number of people moving out of public housing is not increasing, attributing the low turnover rate to the fact that public housing beneficiaries enjoy an array of services like free maintenance and waste disposal, among others.

At present, there are 132 public housing recipients under the Voucher Certificate Program or where the beneficiaries are allowed to rent an apartment unit of their choice which is most of the time near their place of work.

Ms. Ada said 105 families are currently enrolled under the Project-based program, or those living in NMHC-administered villages in Koblerville and Mihaville on Saipan, and a project each on Rota and on Tinian.

The government-controlled housing corporation administers 34 housing units in Koblerville and 48 in Mihaville both on Saipan; 30 in Rota and 20 on Tinian.

NMHC has reported a significant increase in the number of CNMI families who have availed the Section-8 Housing Assistance Program during the last two years, a strong manifestation of hard economic times.

The amount shouldered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development depends on the income level of the family. The program assists in paying the fair market rent 30 percent of their adjusted income or 10 percent of their gross income, whichever is greater.

However, in cases when families do not have any source of income at all, the Section-8 Housing Assistance Program fully subsidizes them and pays the entire contract rent.

Under the program, the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation interviews low-income families and inform them how much money they can get for housing assistance from the federal government.