Tompkins County residents seeking Section 8 housing assistance are facing waits of three to five years as federal funding constraints limit the number of vouchers local agencies can issue, according to The Ithaca Voice.
Tompkins Community Action closed its waiting list last September after projected wait times exceeded five years, while the Ithaca Housing Authority’s list remains open with about 1,500 applicants.
TCAction has lost 95 vouchers over the past two years and is losing about five per month because state administrators are not replacing vouchers under a federal funding moratorium.
The Ithaca Housing Authority has not lost its assigned vouchers but says federal funding is insufficient to lease all of them, leaving new issuance dependent on monthly funding levels.
Local officials said the problem reflects a broader national strain on the Section 8 program as housing costs rise and federal support remains constrained.
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