Officials in Delaware are working to trim administrative burdens, serve people better and make the affordable housing process easier for landlords with a new partnership.
"This is about agencies working together because people need affordable housing," Matthew Heckles, regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development told NBC10's Tim Furlong.
On Wednesday morning, Heckles was on hand as New Castle County executive Matt Meyer joined Wilmington Housing Authority executive director, Ray Fitzgerald, to sign a memorandum of understanding between housing authorities that would allow people to use their section 8 housing choice voucher in these jurisdictions without additional paperwork and reapplication.
Heckles said that, before this agreement, because of certain restrictions, individuals could have a voucher that would permit housing on one side of the street, but additional paperwork would be needed if they wanted to simply move across the road.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
"This allows them to live where they choose, in areas of opportunity, in a way that reduces the administrative burden to get there," Heckles told NBC10.
In a statement on the agreement, the county said the partnership will eliminate "barriers and burdens for housing clients and create a more streamlined and efficient process for landlords as well as the Wilmington and County teams who process the applications."
