Section 8 Housing applications closing in Mt. Vernon on July 31

MOUNT VERNON, Ind. (WEHT) – Housing is an issue everywhere and in Mt. Vernon, it can be especially hard to find Section 8 Housing.

The Mt. Vernon Housing Authority says this is a rare decision, but necessary for the Posey County.

The Housing Authority currently provides assistance to 183 families in Posey County, but there’s still a waiting list for housing.

Housing Authority Director, Terri Stallings says, “We’re a small county, so I know 60 people that may not seem like a lot, but for our small community that is quite a few people on the waiting list so it’s very difficult for those people.”

The Housing Authority is closing applications due to a lack of funding.

In 2023, the agency spent over 1 million dollars by assisting families.

The Housing Authority has applied for funding, but the director says they made the decision to close applications as a preventative measure so they don’t mislead people or give them a false sense of hope.

Stallings says, “It’s hard to close the list or even think about it, but it’s even harder to have somebody come in and apply and then it’s going to be 12 months or 24 months before they get a voucher.”

The Housing Authority utilizes community partnerships, including the Black Township Trustee.

Stallings says the trustees often provide money if somebody needs immediate assistance, rather than waiting on the list and hoping something becomes available.

The Black Township Trustee, Jessica Wright says, “If somebody comes to our office and they are homeless or unhoused, and they are actually a member of our township, we try to get them either with a family member or to the housing homeless shelters in Evansville.        If that’s not a possibility and they have kind of someplace to go in mind or they’re just waiting for their home to be available, and we are able to offers housing to them by way of a hotel for just that short periods of time.” The Housing Authority says the deadline to apply for Section 8 Housing ends on July 31 at 4pm.

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