Wait time for Section 8 housing increases to 7-12 years

A tight Twin Cities rental housing market is lengthening the waiting time for Section 8 housing for low income people.

Beth Kodluboy, Director of Homeline, a Minneapolis housing advocacy non-profit, says waiting times for Section 8 housing stretch from seven years to 12 years in the Twin Cities.

Kodluboy says the most recent survey shows the declining vacancy rate is constricting the number of affordable rental units for poor people.

"I think this is the fifth or sixth year in a row we've seen the rental vacancy rate go down, anything below five percent is considered a healthy market, so anything below five percent is going to indicate how poorly it is for renters out there and puts some pressure on the rents to go up," said Kodluboy.

Kodluboy says one measurement show the vacancy at just under four percent and monthly rents up more than $100.