Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Orange County Opens Up Section 8 Housing For The First Time In A Decade
Orange County is opening up its Section 8 wait list.
(
Apu Gomes
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Orange County is accepting applications for Section 8 housing for the first time in more than a decade.
The details
The waitlist opened at 8 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 18. It closes on Friday, Sept. 29, at 11:59 a.m.
There are three ways to submit an application:
- Online at Waitlistcheck | Orange County Housing Authority
- Mailed to P.O. Box 11387, Santa Ana, CA 92711. Must be postmarked from Sept. 18, 2023, through Sept. 29, 2023.
- Via email to OCHA.WaitingList2023@occr.ocgov.com
Paper applications are available at participating city halls, branches of the Orange County Public Library and select community organizations.
Support for LAist comes from
The number to call for individuals living with disabilities who need support is (714) 480-2798.
What’s new
This year’s program will accommodate 12,000 applicants.
Landlords will also receive a sign-up bonus for up to $1,000 through a new incentive program.
The selection process
Preference will be given to residents living or working in all cities and unincorporated areas of Orange County, excluding Anaheim, Garden Grove and Santa Ana. Those cities have their own programs.
Support for LAist comes from
In addition, U.S. veterans; the elderly; those living with disabilities; working families; and non-working families will be given preference in that order.
Applicants from each of those groups will be chosen randomly.
The backstory
Orange County Housing Authority’s Section 8 program was last opened in 2012, and it’s taken the agency this many years to support the nearly 50,000 approved applicants with housing.
Funding and voucher turnover play into when the list is reopened. Per federal guidelines, OCHA will generally pull the trigger when the existing backlog is reduced to no more than 6 to 9 months wait time.
OCHA is lowering the number of approved applicants this time around to reduce wait time in between.
For more information: Visit www.ochousing.org or call OCHA at (714) 480-2798.
Support for LAist comes from
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year. -
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist