MONROE - A new housing survey released Thursday by the Monroe Housing Authority shows 11 out of 12 apartment complexes surveyed in the city have vacant units, and more than half of the buildings have units in some type of government subsidized or limited rent program.
The survey does not indicate the exact number of vacant units, nor how many vacant units have reduced or subsidized rents in all of the buildings, because some managers were reluctant to divulge information, according to Cindy Johnson, executive director for Monroe Housing Authority.
But Johnson reported the buildings have between two and five vacancies each.
"There are four or five (vacancies) in a lot of places," she added.
And, based on other information in the survey, an estimated 230 apartment units in the city of Monroe are rentable at below-market rates.
Four government programs, commonly called Section 8, Section 42, Rural Development and government public housing, are used by the apartment complexes to provide apartments to low-income or disabled persons.
Johnson said the survey was completed to provide her office with more information about available units to pass along to applicants who did not meet the requirements at Churchill Woods.
"No one else had this information," she said.
Johnson said she is sharing the information with all the apartment managers who took part in the survey.
The Monroe Housing Authority operates Churchill Woods Apartments, the only government public housing in Monroe, under the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
With 85 units, Churchill Woods is the largest complex in the survey. It currently has five vacant units. Rent amounts, which includes all utilities, are 30 percent of a tenant's adjusted income, after medical expenses, and tenants must be over age 55 or disabled.
Of the 12 complexes surveyed, four rent apartments at market rates only.
The remaining eight facilities have some, or all, units with rent costs reduced through one or more government programs.
Reported market rates in three Monroe apartment complexes ranged from a low of $479 per- month for a one-bedroom unit, to a high of $1,030 for a two-bedroom unit. One complex did not report its market-rate rent amounts.
Two facilities are subsidized by U. S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development - programs of loans, grants and individual assistance. Rent amounts are usually 30 percent of income.
These two facilities and a third accept Section 8 housing choice vouchers. Vouchers are issued to qualifying tenants who meet guidelines. The tenant then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the voucher.
In the Section 8 program, tenants pay about 30 percent of their income for rent.
Two facilities are under Section 42, the IRS Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program for building owners who must make 20 to 40 percent of their units available to low- to moderate-income persons. Section 42 programs do not directly subsidize rents.
At one apartment complex, monthly rent for a one-bedroom unit drops from a market rate of $830 to $600 under the Section 42 program. Qualifying tenants must have an income below 60 percent of the county median income.
Two complexes that rent at market rates do accept Section 8 conversion vouchers, or "sticky vouchers," which residents can obtain only when apartment owners opt out of the program, or opt not to renew project-based Section 8 contracts.
Johnson said her office did the survey over the past two weeks. She presented the survey at a meeting of the Housing Authority board Thursday.
The survey does not indicate the exact number of vacant units, nor how many vacant units have reduced or subsidized rents in all of the buildings, because some managers were reluctant to divulge information, according to Cindy Johnson, executive director for Monroe Housing Authority.
But Johnson reported the buildings have between two and five vacancies each.
"There are four or five (vacancies) in a lot of places," she added.
And, based on other information in the survey, an estimated 230 apartment units in the city of Monroe are rentable at below-market rates.
Four government programs, commonly called Section 8, Section 42, Rural Development and government public housing, are used by the apartment complexes to provide apartments to low-income or disabled persons.
Johnson said the survey was completed to provide her office with more information about available units to pass along to applicants who did not meet the requirements at Churchill Woods.
"No one else had this information," she said.
Johnson said she is sharing the information with all the apartment managers who took part in the survey.
The Monroe Housing Authority operates Churchill Woods Apartments, the only government public housing in Monroe, under the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
With 85 units, Churchill Woods is the largest complex in the survey. It currently has five vacant units. Rent amounts, which includes all utilities, are 30 percent of a tenant's adjusted income, after medical expenses, and tenants must be over age 55 or disabled.
Of the 12 complexes surveyed, four rent apartments at market rates only.
The remaining eight facilities have some, or all, units with rent costs reduced through one or more government programs.
Reported market rates in three Monroe apartment complexes ranged from a low of $479 per- month for a one-bedroom unit, to a high of $1,030 for a two-bedroom unit. One complex did not report its market-rate rent amounts.
Two facilities are subsidized by U. S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development - programs of loans, grants and individual assistance. Rent amounts are usually 30 percent of income.
These two facilities and a third accept Section 8 housing choice vouchers. Vouchers are issued to qualifying tenants who meet guidelines. The tenant then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the voucher.
In the Section 8 program, tenants pay about 30 percent of their income for rent.
Two facilities are under Section 42, the IRS Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program for building owners who must make 20 to 40 percent of their units available to low- to moderate-income persons. Section 42 programs do not directly subsidize rents.
At one apartment complex, monthly rent for a one-bedroom unit drops from a market rate of $830 to $600 under the Section 42 program. Qualifying tenants must have an income below 60 percent of the county median income.
Two complexes that rent at market rates do accept Section 8 conversion vouchers, or "sticky vouchers," which residents can obtain only when apartment owners opt out of the program, or opt not to renew project-based Section 8 contracts.
Johnson said her office did the survey over the past two weeks. She presented the survey at a meeting of the Housing Authority board Thursday.