Friday morning, St. Vincent de Paul opened an application period for vacancies at a low-income housing property in west Eugene. The window of time to apply was 30 minutes. But slots filled a whole lot quicker.
The waitlist opened at 8:30 a.m.
One minute later, St. Vinnie’s Kim Scherp had already gathered the quota of 35 applications from families hoping for a chance at two upcoming vacancies at Mac McDonald apartments. She said there were more than 400 applicants.
“We do the best that we can (but) due to fair housing (laws), it’s first come first served," she said.
St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County operates about 1,500 low-income housing units statewide—with over 900 in the Eugene-Springfield area. Property Management Director Kinser Fleming said it makes him happy to help people move into a place they can afford but the overall demand doesn't.
“But I would say it’s disheartening to see that there are so many people out there that are in such desperate need for affordable housing," he said. "It’s insane, you know?”
Fleming said their waitlists are always opening and closing to keep a minimum number of applicants at the ready for whenever a unit becomes available.
One of the criteria for applicants is income. Potential renters must be families that fall at or below 50% of the area median income. In the case of the townhouse style duplexes at Mac McDonald near Highway 99 in Eugene, the income threshold is $44,550 for a family of four.
The Mac McDonald duplexes on Bennett Lane and Compton Street in west Eugene are 2 and 3-bedroom townhouses. Rents range from $786 to $913 per month. To qualify, monthly household income should be at least one and a half times the monthly stated rent.
When waitlists open for low-income units, Fleming said applications come flooding in by the hundreds, via email and fax. Some people deliver applications in person, forming long lines outside St. Vincent de Paul’s administrative office on Chad Drive.
“People used to camp out the night before to make sure they were in line,” he said.
The organization maintains properties throughout Eugene and Springfield, as well as in Junction City, Oakridge, Florence, Salem and Portland.
