DC Housing Authority Launches Waitlist Update Campaign

The District of Columbia Housing Authority’s priority is to increase public housing occupancy rates and is currently focused on filling vacancies through aggressive renovation and lease-up strategies.

One key strategy to fill vacancies is to update DCHA’s waitlist, which was frozen in 2013. The agency is embarking on a grass-roots communications campaign asking current waitlist customers to update all of their information within the next 60 days.

“As part of the District’s greater network of affordable housing providers, the DC Housing Authority wants to ensure those who still need housing provide up-to-date contact and household information for our files,” said DCHA Executive Director Brenda Donald. “While the waitlist currently remains closed for new applicants, we have hundreds of public housing units available for people who have been waiting many years. We encourage people who are already on DCHA’s waitlist to reach out to us during this 60-day campaign so that we can match you with housing that meets your needs.”

“Updated contact and household information helps DCHA reach families who have applied for public housing,” said Latweeta Smyers, DCHA’s Senior Vice President of the Housing Choice Voucher and Eligibility and Continued Occupancy Programs.

This pertinent information allows DCHA to match appropriately sized units to eligible heads of household on the current waitlist, reducing the amount of time to process applications and move families into their new homes.

For existing DCHA customers already on the waitlist, forms to update address, family composition, phone number, and more are available at www.dchousing.org. Choose Customers, Documents and Forms, and Waitlist Customer Contact Information to get the form, which can be downloaded and emailed to updatewaitlist@dchousing.org
Current waitlist customers can also update their information by calling (844) 306-0531.