The Housing Authority of the County of San Joaquin  is the agency responsible for providing decent, safe, and affordable housing for low-income families, elderly, and the disabled. It was established by state legislation, is federally funded, and has been continually serving the low-income population of San Joaquin County since 1942.

For over 60 years the Housing Authority has provided shelter and assistance. First, to wartime workers and returning veterans, and then to migrant farm workers and thousands of families. The Authority has designed, built, opened and maintained developments and individual housing units throughout the county.

The Housing Authority currently assists more than 19,000 people through distribution of 4,817 housing vouchers (which includes single family homes spread throughout the county) and by managing and maintaining 1,075 units in the county’s public housing developments.

It does this through many specific assistance programs, by forming partnerships with other agencies and businesses, and by overseeing and distributing millions of Federal dollars each year. These programs, partnerships and the dollars spent are managed to specifically benefit the people of San Joaquin County. The Housing Authority is overseen by a seven-member board of locally appointed commissioners and an executive staff who implement and manage the County's mandates.

Since 1974 the San Joaquin Housing Authority has managed the Housing Choice Voucher Program, providing rent subsidies in the form of housing assistance payments to private landlords on behalf of eligible families. The Housing Choice Voucher Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, provides housing assistance to extremely low and very low-income families, senior citizens, and disabled or handicapped persons. Its objective is to provide affordable, decent and safe housing for eligible families, while increasing a family’s residential mobility and choice.

The Voucher Program also includes programs such as Family Self-Sufficiency and Welfare to Work. These are designed to assist families in becoming economically self-sufficient.

Our Supportive Services Centers help residents to access the resources they need to become economically self-sufficient. Over 400 people visit the Supportive Services Centers each month to search for information or to confer with staff.

Our unique, fully accessible facilities offer: computer-based learning exercises in math, reading and writing; job readiness training, resume preparation assistance and community job placement; tutoring, enrichment and recreational activities; free computer and telephone access for those seeking employment; counseling services for individuals involved in substance abuse or domestic violence; daycare, transportation, social service and affordable housing information.

Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) is a program designed to assist residents in becoming independent of public assistance. With the help of local agencies, FSS combines case management, education, training, and supportive services with rental assistance to aid families toward self-sufficiency.

The end result: As participants become self-sufficient, their housing subsidies become available for others wanting to succeed and, as they begin paying higher taxes, it helps to reduce the tax burden on society as a whole.

The Housing Authority has been providing housing and other services to migrant families in San Joaquin County for over 35 years. As pioneers of migrant housing, we are very proud that over the years we have been able to continually improve our programs. Each of our three Migrant Centers consists of 95 units. The State of California’s Housing and Community Development, Office of Migrant Services funds the centers. California’s Rural Development also provided a loan/grant to help construct the Harney Lane Migrant Center.

One of the County’s recent accomplishments was to spearhead the changes needed in state law that would allow our Migrant Centers to remain open for an extended nine months each year in order to coincide with the local school year. For the first time many teenagers are able to graduate from high school without being interrupted by the seasonal closing of the Centers.

The Project-Based Voucher Program is designed to encourage property owners to construct new or upgrade substandard rental housing for low-income families. A change in the law allows Housing Authorities to provide Vouchers for up to 20% of its total voucher allocation under the existing Housing Choice Voucher program. At this time we have 125 units under contract.