The Troy Housing Authority is about to put the longest halt ever on accepting certain public housing applications.

Beginning Oct. 20, the housing authority will no longer take applications for one-bedroom public housing units, and Oct. 21, it will stop taking Section 8 housing applications. The hold will remain in place until May 2009.

“This is the longest time we’ve had to close it,” said Executive Director of Troy Housing Authority Ken Vaughan. “We used to not have that large of a waiting list, but our waiting list over the last few years has grown, so we have more people needing housing.”

With 41 eligible applicants waiting for one-bedroom housing and 16 applicants still pending, Vaughan said something had to be done to clear the list.

“We moved in 21 last year, and we have people who have been on the waiting list over a year, and that causes them to get frustrated,” Vaughan said. “It’s not fair for them to have to wait that long.”

Vaughan said the authority will accept one-bedroom applications only from those above the age of 65 or disabled.

“We have a total of 90 apartments for people who are disabled or handicap,” Vaughan said. “We don’t have a large waiting list for those because somebody who is 25 won’t qualify for those.”

Vaughan said the waiting list for Section 8 housing has also grown to around 60 to 70 applicants. Vaughn said the majority of applicants for public housing are eligible for one-bedroom apartments, and while those are full, there are others that are not.

With 422 total apartments that are public housing, Vaughan said there are apartments with two to five bedrooms still open.

Residents have to qualify to be eligible to live in public housing, based on income, background records and an application process.