DeKalb County’s waiting list of about 900 families applying for Section 8 vouchers – more than double last year’s amount – is what one local official is calling a minor crisis.

Administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Section 8 provides federal funding to low-income renters and homeowners.

At the Nov. 8 DeKalb City Council meeting, community services planner Sue Guio addressed city officials and explained how the county now has a minor crisis on its hands. One year ago, there was a list of about 400 applicants.

“We need to find what is driving that change,” said 3rd Ward Alderman Steve Kapitan. “That is very dramatic.”

One DeKalb County resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he applied for a voucher seven months ago and has since received only a letter acknowledging his application. A letter was sent back that said he qualified, but not to contact the office because they would call him first.

He is currently living in a townhouse with his wife, but cannot afford the everyday cost of living.

He used to live in Minnesota and applying there was easy. In Illinois, however, it took him a week just to figure out who to call, he said.

In some instances, he said he had to go into offices and refuse to leave until someone would talk with him.

Both Guio and Mitch Hallgren, executive director of the DeKalb County Housing Authority, cite the decrease in federal funding as the cause.

Hallgren said it is not because the county has a greater number of low-income families, but that poor funding has created the need to close the list, causing a backlog. It is a matter of manipulating the new system to satisfy the county’s needs, he said.

The housing authority now receives about $220,000 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development each year.

The system was previously based on the number of submitted vouchers.

“[The government] started funding only on a dollar amount, with no warning,” Hallgren said. “We were very upset. You just have this much money, [there is] no regard for vouchers.”

Applicants are given aid based on the size of their family and how much living space they will need; for example, a two-bedroom apartment warrants less aid than a four-bedroom apartment.

Housing authorities across the country are struggling with a lack of funds right now, Hallgren said.

The DeKalb County Housing Authority is located at 310 N. Sixth St. and can be reached by calling 758-2692.