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Do you need affordable housing in Southwest Missouri?
The OACAC Housing Assistance Program helps with rental payments so that low-income residents may live in a house, apartment, or mobile home which is decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable. We serve clients across a 10-county region that includes Barry, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene* (excluding Springfield), Lawrence, Polk, Stone, Taney, and Webster.
The office hours for the Housing Department are 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday through Thursday. Our phone number is (417) 864-3444. Have you already filled out an application and want to check your status on the waitlist? Call (501) 404-4133.
*If you live inside Springfield city limits when you apply for our waiting list, you must move outside Springfield city limits within our 10-county region to receive assistance once you are approved for the program and have been issued a voucher. If you do NOT wish to move outside Springfield city limits, you should contact the Housing Authority of Springfield to apply for their waiting list.
Once you receive your Housing Choice Voucher, you have 60 days to locate a rental home which passes inspection and is considered to be rent reasonable.
Please note: The program does not offer property to rent. You are responsible for finding the home of your choice.
If you abide by the terms of your lease and comply with all of your family obligations in the program, your Section 8 Voucher assistance will continue until you are financially able to pay all of your rent.
Your eligibility must be recertified each year and a home inspection will be done annually.
All applicants must be income eligible for placement on the Waiting List for assistance.
No person will be denied participation in the housing program on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, or family status.
An application may be denied for the following reasons:
That depends on a few different factors.
A program Housing Counselor will be available to help you make important decisions about your housing.
You can also learn more by checking out the following resources:
As a Housing Assistance client, you have the following responsibilities:
Restrictions on leasing to relatives:
“Carbon Monoxide Detection shall be installed in dwelling units that contain a fuel-burning appliance or fuel-burning fireplace.” “Carbon Monoxide detection shall be included in any dwelling units with attached private garages.” “Carbon Monoxide detectors shall be installed in dwelling units outside each sleeping area and in the immediate vicinity of the bedroom. If a fuel-burning appliance is installed in the bedroom, a CO detector must be installed in the bedroom” IFC – Chapter 9, Section 915.
HUD enforced the requirements instituted by Congress that mandate all public housing, Housing Choice Voucher, Project-Based Voucher, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly and Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities have carbon monoxide alarms or detectors installed by December 27, 2022.
Additional changes will take effect on December 29, 2024, requiring all smoke alarms be either hard wired or sealed, 10-year battery devices. The NSPIRE Smoke Alarm standard reflects current NFPA 72 and will be updated with the additional mandates by the statutory compliance date.
HUD encourages PHAs and Owners to adopt standards at or above the standards of the 2018 International Fire Code. This includes all programs administered by the OACAC Housing Assistance Program.
The need for decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing continues to grow in our communities. If you own modestly priced rental housing in our service area and would like to participate in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, we welcome you. Keep in mind, the program is the Housing CHOICE Voucher Program. The family with an active voucher chooses where they wish to live. We are happy to offer a list of prospective property owners who agree to have their information provided to voucher holders who are searching for housing, but the final choice rests with the voucher holder and the property owner. Property owners are responsible for screening the prospective renter family. Once that match is made, the family will contact our office to do a final determination if the home they have chosen can be approved and if so, an inspection of the property will be scheduled.
More information and sample forms are provided in the following links. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 417-864-3444. We appreciate our partnership with participating property owners!
Click here for a copy of the Carbon Monoxide brochure.
Click here for a copy of a sample contract.
Click here for a copy of the direct deposit authorization.
Click here for a copy of the fair housing booklet.
Click here for a copy of the VAWA notice to landlords.
Click here for a copy of the owner’s guide.
Click here to download and complete the rental survey.
Click here to learn more about how landlords are paid.
Click here for a copy of the inspection book.
You can rent a single family house, apartment, duplex, or mobile home, but it must meet Housing Quality Standards. Please look for the following criteria when searching for a place to rent:
NEW as of April 2024: Click here to apply online. You must have an active email to submit an application online.
Prefer a paper application? Please click here to download and print the Housing Assistance application.
Applications are also available at your local OACAC Neighborhood Center and at the OACAC Central Office in Springfield. We are now serving households who applied prior to 1/1/23.
If you have already submitted an application and are on the OACAC Housing waitlist and you have moved, you MUST update your mailing address with your current information. You can update your address and phone number by using the (link above) at any time. If you fail to update your address and your housing paperwork is not returned by the deadline, you will be dropped from the waitlist and must reapply.
For information about homeless services or housing programs that serve homeless populations, you may contact the Coordinated Entry in Christian/Greene/Webster counties at 417-225-7499. For persons in Barry, Dade, Dallas, Lawrence, Polk, Stone and Taney counties, contact the Balance of State Coordinated Entry at 1-833-329-1812.
The OACAC Housing Assistance Program offers assistance to residents in the following counties: Barry, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene (excluding the City of Springfield), Lawrence, Polk, Stone, Taney, and Webster.
Applicants who do not live inside OACAC’s legal service area (including people living in Springfield) will be classified as non-residents of the jurisdiction for the purposes of determining where they can lease a unit.
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