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Centralized housing voucher waiting list opens Feb. 3; county housing authority and United Way to assist applicants
Summary
The statewide centralized housing choice voucher waiting list will open Monday, Feb. 3; New Castle County Housing Authority and United Way will provide in‑person assistance and paper applications for residents who need help applying online, officials said.
Asunta Scarpitti, administrator of the New Castle County Housing Authority, announced that a centralized waiting list for housing choice vouchers across Delaware will open on Monday, Feb. 3 and that the list is planned to remain open.
Scarpitti said the centralized portal will allow applicants to submit one application for multiple housing authorities across the state instead of applying separately to each authority. Applications will be available online at the Affordable Housing portal and applicants who need assistance may visit a local housing authority office or contact United Way by dialing 211 for help completing the online form.
Scarpitti said the waiting lists for authorities had not been open since 2018 in many places and that New Castle County received roughly 7,000 applications the last time its waiting list opened. She explained that current applicants who were already on local waiting lists had an opportunity to update their applications by Dec. 31 to be reinstated; housing authorities have an agreed process to reinstate those applications before moving on to new applicants.
General Manager Carrie Casey asked council members to share the press release and public information because staff expect a large response. "We would love your help in sharing that information," Casey said, and reminded the committee that voucher and rental assistance programs are federally funded and could be affected by the reported federal funding freeze.
Why it matters: Opening the centralized waiting list is a significant access point for people seeking housing assistance; helping applicants complete forms and updating existing applications may affect applicants’ position on local lists.
What’s next: Scarpitti said the waiting list will remain open and that housing authorities will process reinstatements of previously listed applicants before moving to new applicants from the centralized pool. County staff will circulate public information and partner with United Way to assist applicants who lack internet access.
