There are 5,526 active households in Section 8. The average number of people per household is 2.85 with an average of 1.7 minors per home. The remaining families are of other nationalities. There are 1,227 applicants on the JHA public housing waiting list and 2,472 applicants on the Section 8 waiting list. Applicants are screened based upon federal priorities.
Preference is given to applicants who fall into the federal priority categories.
Priority categories include applicants who are involuntarily displaced, pay in excess of 50 percent of their income for rent, or are living in substandard housing. Applicants with a priority condition are placed on the waiting list above those without a priority condition. After applicants are separated by priority categories, all are placed on the waiting list according to date of application. JHA does not have an emergency placement program, but does refer those in dire conditions to other agencies that provide temporary shelter. The Section 504 Needs Assessment conducted by the JHA surveyed the needs of public housing tenants and applicants who were handicapped or disabled.