The Housing Stabilization Collaborative will use a lottery system that will replace its current one starting in March. The change will impact housing affordability for low-income students and Lawrence residents.
The HSC, a collaboration of human services agencies, provides housing and utility assistance in Douglas County. So far, HSC has been using a first-come-first-served application process to provide assistance, according to a release from Douglas County. The application opens on the first of every month.
The current application process will be replaced by a lottery system that will open from Feb. 15 through March 1, according to the release.
The previous system favors applicants who have computers and those who have somebody filling the application on their behalf, said Gabi Sprague, Douglas County Human Services program manager.
“The lottery system removes that barrier and is best practice in communities where funding cannot meet the need,” Sprague said in the release.
Moreover, HSC will lower the assistance cap from $2,205 in addition to $100 for every dependent to $1,500 in addition to $100 for every dependent.
“We do not have enough funding to meet the need in our community,” Sprague said in the release. “This change will allow us to do the most we can with available funding."
