Salem opens voucher applications for Highland housing project

Salem renters earning below half the area median income can apply for subsidized apartments at a new Highland neighborhood complex starting Tuesday, Oct. 27.

The Salem Housing Authority (SHA) will accept applications for Section 8 Project-Based Voucher units at Voyager's Village, a four-story, 41-unit building at 2210 Commercial St. NE. The application window opens Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 1 p.m. and closes Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 11:59 p.m. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

A small number of units at the complex offer income-based rent through the voucher program, according to the SHA notice. Residents who receive a voucher pay about 30% of their monthly income toward rent. The assistance is tied to the unit and does not transfer if a tenant moves.

The remaining units will be filled directly by the property's management company, not from the SHA waiting list.

Who qualifies

Applicants must earn at or below the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Very Low Income Limit, set at 50% of the area median income. The current annual caps are:

$35,650 for a one-person household
$40,750 for a two-person household
$45,850 for a three-person household

A valid email address is required to apply. Applications will be placed on the waiting list in the order they are received.

About the building

Voyager's Village is a $26 million project led by the Micronesian Islander Community (MIC), a Salem nonprofit. Executive director Jackie Leung has been developing the concept since 2012, according to MIC's project page. The 45,000-square-foot building includes 25 two-bedroom units, 13 three-bedroom units and three one-bedroom units.

The complex will also house the only dedicated Micronesian community center in the continental United States. While the project is spearheaded by the Micronesian community, all qualifying applicants are eligible regardless of background, according to MIC.

A grand opening is tentatively scheduled for later this fall. The Highland Neighborhood Association and city officials supported the project early on, according to MIC.

Demand for vouchers

The new units arrive as Salem's housing assistance programs face mounting pressure. Nicole Utz, SHA director, told commissioners in April that the agency serves more than 9,000 residents. Average per-unit costs have climbed to about $1,100 as of that April presentation, up from $600 to $700 a few years earlier, she said.

"Our demand continues to exceed our available funding," Utz said during that presentation, as reported by the Salem Business Journal.