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FAIRFIELD TWP. — April Griffin arrived at the New Life Vineyard Church on Princeton Road at about 1 a.m. Saturday for a pre-application to get on the waiting list for a Section 8 housing voucher.
She was given a number — 670 — which was her place in line when it opened at 9 a.m.
“Truthfully, I never thought I’d ever be in this situation,” Griffin said. “The way the economy is, it (has) broke all of us down. My children are suffering. My husband had always taken good care of the family, but I never thought I’d lose my home.”
Griffin, 29, was one of 3,099 people who submitted pre-applications with the Butler Metropolitan Housing Authority.
Crystal Crockett, 25, of Hamilton, and formerly of Middletown, received number 999, when she arrived in a taxi cab at 4 a.m.
“I’ve been on the streets and do whatever I have to do,” she said.
BMHA is assigned 960 housing choice vouchers for qualifying low income residents for Section 8 federal rent assistance.
Barbara Brown, BMHA’s Section 8 manager, said this was the first time in five years that the waiting list was opened for pre-applications and 2,300 people applied in six hours.
BMHA still has 70 people remaining on its waiting list from five years ago. Brown said the elderly, disabled and veterans have first priority when vouchers become available.
She said the process went well on Saturday by using the numbering system. “It helped a whole lot,” Brown said.
When they gave out the first numbers at about 8:30 p.m. Friday night, 250 of the numbers were gone in 15 minutes, Brown said.
She expected a lot of people coming who have never been on assistance before.
“These are desperate times and desperate people,” she said.
Other agencies, such as the SChurch members passed out hot chocolate and snacks late Friday night to those waiting in cars or camping out in tents.
A fire pit was brought to the church by Deputy Dave Fant to help ward off the overnight chill for those waiting.
Once the people get on the waiting list, it could be as long as two years before any of them are called, unless the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has more vouchers available, Brown said.
“But I don’t know of any more being awarded,” she said. “It’s going to take some time. Housing Choice Vouchers aren’t an easy fix.”
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