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<br />6 <br />given growth in population and jobs, not how much affordable housing is needed. They don’t <br />deal enough with current need. <br /> <br />Vouchers <br /> <br />Financial help for low income renters is available through Section 8 vouchers. The <br />Housing Choice Voucher Program, funded by the federal government and distributed through <br />Metro HRA, offers rental assistance. Eligible households pay 30% to 40% of their incomes for <br />rent, and Metro HRA pays the remainder. Families may rent any type of housing in the Metro <br />HRA service area where the landlord agrees to program participation and within HRA rent <br />guidelines. <br /> <br />Special vouchers are also available. Bridges, a state program, provides rental assistance <br />for households with one or more adults with mental illnesses. Veteran’s Affairs Supportive <br />Housing (VASH), a federal program, offers rental assistance for homeless veterans in connection <br />with supportive services provided through the Veteran’s Administration. <br /> <br /> Low-income people in the Twin Cities wait years for a Section 8 housing voucher. The <br />Metropolitan Council, which oversees Anoka, Carver, and most of the suburbs in Hennepin and <br />Ramsey counties, opened its waiting list in February 2015 for the first time since 2007. The <br />agency received 35,000 applications in four days. Only 2,000 names were put in a lottery, and <br />those families face a wait of up to three years to actually get a voucher. <br /> <br />People who do manage to secure a voucher often have a hard time redeeming them since <br />few places accept them. According to Met Council data, less than two thirds of Section 8 <br />voucher holders are able to use them. The success rate for people with mental illness who have <br />Bridges vouchers is one-third. <br /> <br />The Metropolitan Council data below shows voucher usage in our five cities. Numbers <br />fluctuate and may not be totally accurate in 2017. <br /> <br /> <br />Type of <br />Voucher <br />Falcon <br />Heights <br />Lauderdale Little Canada Maplewood Roseville <br />Housing <br />Choice <br />(Section 8) <br />39 6 135 380 262 <br />Bridges 0 0 6 5 3 <br /> <br /> <br />Developers <br /> <br />“Funding is the responsibility of the developer. He or she must pull the funding together <br />and make it work. If you are a developer and you have a vision, you would not proceed without