Need

• Although the cost of rental housing in Hinesville is lower than Georgia's statewide average, the city's neediest households still might have a difficult time securing affordable shelter. As of 2010, the National Low Income Housing Coalition reports the fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the Hinesville-Fort Stewart metropolitan area is $631, compared with $789 statewide. At the state's minimum wage -- $7.25 an hour, as of 2010 -- a full-time worker in Hinesville can only afford $377 in rent, based on the nationally accepted standard that a family should spend no more than 30 percent of its income on housing.
  
  

Programs

• Eligible Hinesville residents can receive help through the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) two main rental assistance programs -- public housing and the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. Hinesville's housing authority operates public housing units with rents set at rates affordable to low-income families. Through the Section 8 program, HUD subsidizes the portion of a low-income household's private market rent that exceeds 30 to 40 percent of its income.
  
  The Georgia Dream Homeownership Program offers homeownership assistance to Hinesville residents. Home buyers, often first-timers, can secure low-interest rate loans or receive assistance with down payments and closing costs through a mix of initiatives.
  
  

Process

• Two main entities administer housing assistance programs in Hinesville. DCA runs most of the state's homeownership programs available to Hinesville residents. DCA also operates the Section 8 rental assistance program for Hinesville reisdents. To apply for either type of assistance, residents must contact DCA to begin the application process. As HUD's website explains, the local housing authority in Hinesville administers the city's public housing program, also referred to as "low-rent" housing.
  
  

Eligibility

• Housing assistance programs in Hinesville generally use HUD's annual income limits to determine eligibility. Under HUD regulations, families applying for public housing cannot earn more than 80 percent of their area's median income. For Section 8 housing, that cap drops to 50 percent. In the Hinesville-Fort Stewart area for 2010, 80 percent of the median income for a family of four equals $37,100; 50 percent of median is $23,200.
  
  Homeownership programs open to Hinesville residents often use different income thresholds, but all base eligibility on HUD's data.
  
  

Considerations

• Whether a family receives housing assistance in Hinesville depends not only on eligibility, but also on availability of resources. Programs may not be able to accept new participants if their resources are considerably lower than the demand. For example, as of October 2010, DCA reported it had no Section 8 waiting lists open for Liberty County, which includes Hinesville.