NAMPA — Public housing agencies are seeing new trends in a down economy. More two-parent families and former homeowners are applying for low-income housing units as local families continue to struggle with layoffs, foreclosures and debt.

"We have a flood of applicants coming in," Nampa Housing Authority executive director Andy Rodriguez said. "Our waiting list used to range anywhere from three to six months. Now we tell individuals anywhere from six to nine months."

Applicants for 2- and 3-bedroom units in the past six months nearly match the numbers of applicants the housing authority had all year in 2008.

"The curious thing about the applicant pool is the demographics have changed. Last year our information showed we were about 74 percent one-parent families. Now that's changed. We're seeing a lot more two-parent families coming in and applying," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez has also begun to see a trend of more applicants without a rental history, which initially puzzled the staff.

"It dawned on us, 'Oh, you were a homeowner and you lost your house,'" he said. "I personally see, at least on a weekly basis, someone who comes in and says 'Look, I've never applied for housing, I don't know what to do,'" Rodriguez said. "These are individuals who don't know the system, they don't know how to be economically challenged. They come in like deer in the headlights — there's a fear of not knowing."

Caldwell Housing Authority executive director Mike Dittenber sees a similar trend of applicants who were able to rent apartments in area neighborhoods now applying for public housing.

"I believe people are being pushed 'down' into more modest and appropriate-sized living arrangements. The number of applications for the larger units has increased dramatically. Not so much for the smaller units," he noted.

Although applications are up, so are late and delinquent payments, said Dittenber, who oversees the 250-unit Farmway Village community on the outskirts of Caldwell.

"The number of families that are making late payments have doubled from about 10 per month to about 20. We are seeing more and more people fall behind in rent. We have actually created a pamphlet called 'Can't pay rent!' in which the myths and facts about rent payments are addressed," he said.

Dittenber said he gets at least one person per week who asks for more time to come up with the rent money before the eviction process begins.

Units at the Nampa Housing Authority are income-based and applicants are given preference if they are elderly, disabled, in a training program or working. The work requirement used to be 90 days in a job and 30 or more hours per week.

"When we started seeing the economy slumping, we passed a resolution and dropped it down to 20 hours a week to be qualified as working. A lot of applicants were losing their preference (because of reduced work hours)," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez predicts the applicant wait list is going to double in coming months.

"There's a lot of people that apply, a lot of people that are eligible, but not a lot of available units," he said.