BOWLING GREEN, Mo — The not-for-profit North East Community Action Corporation (NECAC) has rent-assistance vouchers available to disabled people ages 18 to 62 in Pike, Ralls, Lincoln and other Missouri counties.

The biggest advantage of the Mainstream Voucher Program is that qualifying disabled people can get a voucher within a few days. Applicants to the Section 8 Housing Rent-Assistance Program are put on a waiting list until vouchers become available.

“We encourage disabled people to apply for a Mainstream voucher,” said NECAC Section 8 Rent-Assistance Programs Director Dianna Clair. “It’s the fastest way to ensure that you can find safe, affordable housing.”

NECAC contractually administers the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Mainstream and Section 8 programs in its 12-county area.

To qualify for a Mainstream voucher, people ages 18 to 62 must be receiving disability payments through Social Security or be determined by a medical professional to be disabled.

The program provides partial rent payments for low to moderate income disabled residents. NECAC makes rent-subsidy payments directly to private landlords for income-qualifying families and individuals on houses, apartments or mobile homes.

Qualifying applicants receive a voucher that pays a portion of participants’ rent depending upon the tenant’s income, number of bedrooms in the unit and the area’s fair-market rent. The rest is paid by the tenant. Applicants must find housing once they receive a voucher.

NECAC inspects all rental units initially and annually to assure they meet HUD Housing Quality Standards and local zoning standards for safe and clean conditions before rent payments are issued.

NECAC has contracted with HUD to provide rent-assistance programs for more than 40 years, and has overseen the Mainstream program since January 2020. The agency has 40 vouchers available in St. Charles County and 98 available in the remaining counties.

More information is available by calling NECAC at 573-324-2055.