The Housing Choice Voucher Program assists low-income families in Mahoning County to rent privately owned homes and apartments. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). YMHA contracts with HUD as the local provider for Mahoning County. Under the program, a portion of the rent is paid by YMHA to the landlord and the participant is responsible for paying the remaining portion. The choice of where to live is up to the participant, as long as the unit meets the requirements of the program. All units with a voucher holder in residence is inspected by YMHA under federal Housing Quality Standards to make sure it is in decent, safe and sanitary condition.

YMHA maintains a Waiting List for all applicants for the Housing Choice Voucher program.  New applications are only accepted when the Waiting List is open.  When the Waiting List is open, instructions on how to submit an application are advertised in the local newspaper as well as YMHA’s website.  At the end of the application period, a random computer generated drawing selects applications for placement on the Waiting List.

YMHA contacts applicants by mail once an applicant reaches the top of the Waiting List. At that time, an appointment is scheduled. Applicants must bring all required information with them to the appointment. This information includes original birth certificates, social security cards, income, asset and expense information. YMHA will also verify citizenship and conduct a criminal background check for household members 18 years of age and older. Eligibility for the program is determined after all applicant information is verified. Due to the large number of applicants on the Waiting List, there is no way to estimate how long an applicant may be waiting until they reach the top of the Waiting List.