San Mateo County outlines voucher backlog, Homekey conversions and housing pipeline

San Mateo County housing director Ray Hodges told County Executive Mike Caligi on the county’s Open Mic program that the county administers about 5,500 federal Section 8 housing vouchers, has a Section 8 waiting list of more than 10,000 people and has financed nearly 5,000 affordable units across the county.

The county’s housing programs matter to local workers and seniors in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets, Hodges said: a typical two‑bedroom apartment in San Mateo County requires about $140,000 in annual household income to afford, and the median home price is about $2,000,000.

Hodges said the county’s housing work spans two organizational roles: the federally funded Housing Authority, which administers vouchers such as Section 8, and the county’s Housing and Community Development team, which finances affordable housing development and supports shelters and community facilities. "Section 8 funds a portion of rent for families who can't afford a typical rent in San Mateo County," Hodges said. "Families will pay 30% of their income toward rent."…