Public housing authorities refer to government subsidized living facilities. This local service is available to low income residents in almost every major U.S. city. Public housing is different from Section 8 locations because public housing facilities are owned and operated by the government. Section 8 housing is a form of government subsidized rental assistance. This affords the resident some choice in selecting where to live, but the building must accept and abide by existing regulations. Most of time, Section 8 residents pay roughly 30% of their rental fees and the government makes up for the rest of the total cost through vouchers. Anyone interested in obtaining this type of assistance will need to fill out an application with their local housing authorities. Some jurisdictions are not currently accepting applications due to dire financial conditions. This is an excellent service for low income people, although local facilities may have developed bad reputations. The Housing Authorities are constantly trying to improve living conditions for residents of subsidized housing projects because they have received a great deal of negative publicity over the years. Certain cities have better reputations than others. For example, local housing projects in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles are well known for rampant crime and unsanitary settings. Subsidized buildings in Tacoma, Washington, Atlanta, Georgia, and Granby, Massachusetts have all received awards for their affordable housing programs.
