Denver Housing Authority to open housing program applications Friday

The Denver Housing Authority is opening its pre-application process on Friday for people who want to be on a waiting list for affordable housing opportunities.

DHA is a metro Denver housing agency that offers affordable housing and voucher opportunities to low-income residents. The agency owns more than 13,000 affordable home units and serves over 26,000 low-income residents across metro Denver.

Its public housing program will accept pre-applications between 12:01 a.m. on Friday, April 5, to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, April 15.

DHA’s intent with pre-applications is to get people on a waiting list for affordable housing opportunities, according to DHA Director of Communication Public Affairs Allison Trembly.

“Everyone deserves a good home, a safe home, and we want to provide options,” she said in an interview.

After applying, the amount of time for when someone would receive an affordable housing offer is unpredictable, according to DHA.

Once one of the more than 13,000 DHA affordable housing units becomes available, the next-in-line applicant on the pre-application list would be assessed to see if they’re qualified for DHA-provided affordable housing.

After that, then the applicant would then be considered for affordable housing.

Some pre-applicants from last year remain on the waiting list, according to Trembley, who didn’t have an exact number of people already applied before press time.

Qualifications include families with children, disabled families, anyone with a disability under 62, seniors over 62-years-old and a family with a senior over 62-years-old. Residents must also be qualified for affordable housing by earning under the average area median income.

Anyone can apply for free.

But the affordable housing qualification process is never simple, Trembly said.

“Life changes along the way,” she said, adding people move on from affordable housing for many different reasons including divorce, a newborn child or a college student moving away.

The pre-application process comes amid a new DHA CEO, Joaquín Cintrón Vega, who began in his new executive role on Monday.

Pre-application data entry assistance, particularly for those without a computer, will be available at 1401 Mariposa Street from April 5 to April 15, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Any DHA location can take a pre-application, according to a DHA news release.