Housing Choice Vouchers, how do they work?

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher Program has been helping low-income families, people with disabilities, and the elderly find homes for over 50 years.

The vouchers, provided by HUD, allow people in need to find their own housing and rent a living space with HUD supplementing some of the cost. In Pocatello, Housing Choice Vouchers are in high demand.

"Currently our waitlist is about 350 people," said Jared Mangum, executive director of the Pocatello Housing Alliance & Community Partnerships. "Since April, we've pulled about 250 recipients off the list."

High demand is not the only roadblock for those seeking housing assistance. According to Mangum, some landlords have been unwilling to participate in the program in the past.

However, Mangum is working with the city to get people more permanent housing options.

"We would really like for all of the voucher recipients to be able to use these vouchers towards purchasing their own home," said Mangum. "That would be a great thing for our economy and for the local houses, if we can keep everything local and have people purchasing their own homes–it would be a magnificent accomplishment."

For more information on the Housing Choice Voucher Program, visit the Pocatello Housing Alliance & Community Partnership website.