A Quick Guide to Subsidized Rental Housing

Published by the Mon Valley Providers Council Working Group on Housing

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) subsidizes rental housing programs for low-income families, the elderly, and special populations primarily through three different programs. Listed below are descriptions of the three federally subsidized rental housing programs and contact numbers for the main affordable housing agencies and programs.

Public Housing – Units are owned and operated by local public housing agencies (PHA’s). The units are leased to low-income and very low-income persons and families. Utilities are included in the rent.

To apply, call your local Public Housing Authority:

Allegheny County Housing Authority – (412) 355-8940

Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh – (412) 456-5000

McKeesport Housing Authority – (412) 673-7165

Section 8 Vouchers – Vouchers are rental assistance that is tenant based. A household or individual carries the rental subsidy with them. An individual or family can take the rental subsidy with them to another unit even if they move to a different county or out of the state. Section 8 vouchers are administered by local Public Housing Authorities. Utilities are not included in the rent.

To apply, call your local Public Housing Authority:

Allegheny County Housing Authority

Debra Martin, Director Section 8 Programs – (412) 355-2110

Application number (412) 355-8940

Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

Bob Zak, Director Section 8 Programs – (412) 456-5090

Application number (412) 456-5048

McKeesport Housing Authority

Sharon Sanetsky-Kish, Section 8 Program Coordinator – (412) 673-6944 ext. 105

Application number (412) 673-6942

HUD Assisted Multifamily Housing – Multifamily housing are privately owned apartment complexes or scattered site properties. Rents are subsidized through the project based section 8 program. HUD administers the program through its local office in Pittsburgh. Private companies manage the properties. There are over 200 of these complexes in Allegheny County. The subsidy for project based section 8 is assigned to the unit. An individual or family cannot take the rental subsidy with them if they move. Once a household moves from the unit, the project based section 8 assistance is discontinued for that family. When a property owner forecloses on a mortgage or HUD terminates the project based section 8 assistance for a property, the tenant will be provided a tenant based section 8 voucher that can be used in the rental market. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency also administers multifamily housing.

To apply, contact the property manager at individual apartment sites,

To obtain a list of Multifamily/Project Based Section 8 Housing call:

HUD Locator – (412) 644-6436

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency – 1-800-822-1174

Income eligibility for federally assisted housing programs are based on the median income of an area, which is established by HUD every year. The median income for Pittsburgh and surrounding counties is $44,600 for a family of four. There are different income limits for each subsidy program, ranging from 80% of median and below ($35,700 and below) to 30% of median and below ($13,400 and below) for a family of four. You need to contact your local housing authority for public housing and section 8 voucher income eligibility guidelines, and HUD or a local private owner for HUD multifamily housing income eligibility guidelines.

Rents are set at 30% of adjusted income for public housing and privately owned HUD multifamily housing. Rents are set between 30-40% for section 8 vouchers.

Appeals: If you have been turned down for public housing or a section 8 voucher, contact the Housing Counselor who processed the original application and ask to submit a “Right to Informal Hearing”.

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Transitional and permanent housing: There are additional housing programs that use federal, state and local funds to subsidize rents in a variety of programs for homeless individuals and families.

Transitional housing is a type of supportive housing used to facilitate the movement of homeless individuals and families to permanent housing. It is housing in which homeless persons live for up to 24 months and receive supportive services that enable them to live more independently. The supportive services may be provided by the organization managing the housing or coordinated by them and provided by other public or private agencies. Transitional housing can be provided in one structure or several structures, at one site or in multiple structures at scattered sites.

Bridge housing is a transitional service that allows clients who are in temporary housing to move to supportive long term living arrangements while preparing to live independently. While in the program, clients must receive case management and supportive services and must have a service plan that describes how the program will assist clients for up to 18 months with the goal of returning clients to the most independent life situation possible. This component is designed to “bridge” the gap between emergency shelter and stable long term housing.

The following organizations provide assistance or advocacy for individuals living in or seeking to obtain federal subsidized housing:

For Public Housing Residents:

Urban League/ Public Housing Empowerment Project - (412) 227-4161 or (412) 227-4821

Fair Housing Services Center – (412) 391-2641 (Allegheny County only)

For HUD Multifamily Housing and Organizations:

Pennsylvania Low-Income Housing Coalition / Southwestern Pennsylvania Alliance of HUD Tenants – (412) 441-3080 or Toll Free 1-888-441-1438

Fair Housing Services Center – (412) 391-2641 (Allegheny County only)

For help on legal issues on fair housing and federally subsidized housing:

Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh – (412) 391-2535

United Way/Contact HELPLINE – (412) 578-2450

General Information, Referral and Rental Assistance Programs:

United Way/Contact HELPLINE – (412) 578-2450

ACTION Housing – (412) 281-2102

Homeless Families Services Program (412) 824-2444 or 1-800-882-9263

Urban League of Pittsburgh – Housing Counseling Services:

Housing Assistance Program (HAP) – City of Pittsburgh – (412) 227-4804

HAP – Allegheny County outside Pittsburgh – (412) 227-4812

This publication is a result of months of hard work by the active members of the

MVPC Working Group on Housing. The Working Group would particularly like to thank the staff of the Pennsylvania Low Income Housing Coalition for their leadership on this project.

ACTION Housing – Linda Goblesky, Brenna Conroy

Bridge to Independence – Margaret Blannon

Century Heritage Federal Credit Union – Vin Cerasuolo

City of McKeesport – Bethany Budd

CONTACT Pittsburgh – Donna Smallwood, Mary Jacob

East Allegheny Family Center – Linda Bentley, Shawn Durkin

Fair Housing Partnership – Angela Foster, Rita Labbett, Steve Paikin

Family Health Council – Judy Winstead, Rhonda Greenwood

First Step Recovery Homes – Ken Banner

McKeesport Aging Program – Sharyn Gesmond

McKeesport Collaborative – Ruth Smith

Mon Valley Initiative – Ray Garofalo, Jill Moyer

PALIHC – George Moses, Roland Russell, Craig Stevens, Jill Shuey

People’s Building Project – Lynn Miklos

Senator Jay Costa – Renee Murzyn

Three Rivers Center for Independent Living – Florence Reed

Turtle Creek Valley MH/MR – Janice Burrus

Womansplace – Renee Hale

YMCA of McKeesport – Paul Wesolosky

For more information on subsidized or other housing issues,

contact the Mon Valley Providers Council at

412-829-7112 or mailto:mvpc@hscc-mvpc.org