A Word From Our Executive Director
How a person pays their rent shouldn’t limit where they get to live. Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law on March 15, 2018, a bill that ends discrimination based on whether someone receives Section 8 rental assistance. Over the last several years I’ve gone to Olympia, along with Jim Adrian, a landlord who participates in BHA’s Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance program, and provided testimony to legislators regarding passage of this bill.
Housing Authorities provide rental assistance to single individuals, families with children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, veterans, those who work and struggle to make ends meet, and people trying to build for the future while at the same time provide a safe and stable place to call home. Unfortunately, throughout Washington, these same people face discrimination in where they can live simply because of the means by which they pay their rent.
It’s conceivable that a person without rental assistance can faithfully pay a full rent each month to their landlord, often in excess of 50% of their monthly income, for months and years, and then be told they have to move by the same landlord when their name finally reaches the top of the Section 8 wait list and they receive a voucher. In the past, an owner’s decision to not accept a Section 8 rental voucher forces a family to move through no fault of their own, even though the owner would still get their full contract rent and the family’s portion would very likely go down.
Prior to 2018, a number of communities in Washington, as well as cities throughout the U.S., passed legislation that ended discrimination against Section 8 participants. Oregon passed similar protections which went into effect in 2014. It has opened thousands of doors to renters in Oregon who had previously struggled to find landlords who would rent to them. By all accounts, landlords in Oregon and other areas with these protections have suffered no adverse effects of tenant protection based on source of income.
Bremerton Housing Authority prides itself on positive relationships with local rental property owners. Our processes do not create any undue financial or time burdens on landlords. Individuals and families, trying to create a safe and stable place to live and thrive, should not be limited in where they can live by how they pay their rent.
BHA News
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BHA Partners with Local Agencies to Provide Access to Rental Assistance Through New Voucher Referral Program
On March 15, 2024, over 25 service providers joined Bremerton Housing Authority (BHA) to learn more about the Housing Choice Voucher program (formerly known as Section 8) and the new partner referral program.
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Save My Spot in RENTCafé due April 12, 2024
If you are on BHA’s Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) waitlist or know someone who might be, BHA is currently updating our records and needs to know who is interested in staying on the waitlist.
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Bremerton Housing Authority Secures $6.5 Million Grant to Provide Supportive Housing for Vulnerable Young Adults through Evergreen Bright Start Project
On January 18, 2024, Bremerton Housing Authority (BHA) received notice from the Washington State Department of Commerce that their Housing Trust Fund grant application was fully funded to receive $6.5 million to acquire a new multifamily property in downtown Bremerton, Washington.
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Letter to Bay Vista Residents RE: Proposed Emergency Shelter Options
On October 31, 2023, Jill Stanton, Executive Director of Bremerton Housing Authority, sent an information-only letter to Bay Vista residents and neighbors regarding the City of Bremerton Mayor’s proposed plans to build an emergency shelter.
Events in April 2024
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April 18, 2024(1 event)
4:00 PM: Housing/Business Solutions Committee Meeting 4:00 PM: Housing/Business Solutions Committee Meeting –
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