Affordable-Housing Applications Flood In

Nearly 34,000 people have applied to be on the waiting list for affordable-housing programs in Santa Monica, the city's Housing Division announced Friday afternoon. The flood of applicants shows "the great need for affordable housing options in the current economic climate," the said.

The Housing Division purged its current Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) waiting list July 29.

"The purpose of purging the current waiting list is to ensure that all applicants and applicant information is current, accurate and timely," the authority said in a statement.

On Monday and Tuesday, for 35 hours, the Santa Monica Housing Authority accepted online pre-applications for its new waiting list. The response was "overwhelming," the Housing Division said.

In total, 33,943 individuals applied to be on the waiting list. Among those people, 3,919 are Santa Monica residents and 173 are veterans.

The pool "more than satisfies city and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development policies and regulations regarding providing adequate opportunities for families and households to participate in the programs," the Housing Division said.

The Housing Division chalks up the deluge of applicants to local groups and media spreading the word. There was also information about the waiting list on the city website, SMGov.net; on CityTV; and in community centers.

The , , Police Activities League, the , , , Westside Center for Independent Living, and WISE and Healthy Aging also partnered with the Housing Division to help coordinate the waiting list effort.