At 9 a.m. Tuesday, the City of Tucson's Department of Housing and Community Development will begin an online pre-application period for families and individuals to have a chance to get on the waiting list for either program. The first drawing will take place after January 24th, but drawings will continue to be held monthly during the pre-application period.

Applicants will be randomly selected by a computer and added to a waiting list in the order in which they are selected. The timing of your application does not affect your chances of being waitlisted.

A pre-application process is available online. waitlist.tucsonaz.gov. Upon request, the Housing Authority will provide interpretation services and paper applications available in large print or Braille.

The Housing Authority announced in February that it would begin screening applicants to determine their eligibility and complete the process to access the vouchers. Eligibility is typically determined based on income guidelines.

Waiting lists for Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing have been closed for six years, and the city expects to receive thousands of applications. Tucson has about 5,200 vouchers available throughout Pima County to help low-income residents pay rent on the private market. The city also plans to publish a waiting list for the roughly 1,900 public housing units it owns.

An income discrimination ordinance passed by the Tucson City Council in September could also help voucher holders access housing. The new rules prohibit landlords from rejecting potential tenants based on sources of income, such as government-issued grants.

Arizona's outgoing Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich recently ruled that the city's new anti-discrimination law violates a state law that preempts local governments from regulating the rental housing industry, but incoming Democratic Rep. Chris It's unclear whether Mays will pursue the measure, which could cost Tucson state funding. She will take office in January.