The demand for public housing in Davenport far outstrips the supply. The city has announced it will stop accepting applications for its public housing and Section 8 programs at the end of this month.
The Office of Assisted Housing has enough money to support about 600 local families, but it has applications from more than 5,000.
Roy DeWitt, program manager, blames the gap on low turnover, and the fact that the last time the city closed its waiting list was in 1994.
He says the current wait time for public housing in Davenport is 9 1/2 years. And 40 percent of applicants on the list are from the Chicago area, where the waiting list is 20 years.
DeWitt says Davenport eventually will resume accepting applications for public housing, but he doesn't know when.
In the meantime, he encourages people to apply for housing aid through the Eastern Iowa Housing Authority in Dubuque, which administers a regional program.
