JOHNSTOWN — The Johnstown Housing Authority has decided to stop accepting new applications to the Housing Choice Voucher Program after the average time spent on the waiting list soared to as long as 14 months.

More than a thousand people currently on the waiting list will keep their spot, but no one new will be able to apply for an unspecified amount of time.

The Section 8 program, different from public housing like Solomon or Oakhurst Homes, allows very low income families to apply for a voucher that they can apply to their rent with any landlord approved by the housing authority.

"In our area, we have a high level of poverty ... so this type of program is helping our people," said Joe Taranto, chairman of the Johnstown Housing Authority.

But, since the waiting time to get a voucher is more than a year in Johnstown, they've decided to stop accepting new applications.

There are more changes possibly on the way, too, including a program that would let very low income people use those waivers to help pay for homes instead of rentals.

"Nothing against rentals, landlords or renters, but homeowners take better care, they live in a neighborhood longer and they increase the property value," Taranto said

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