Finding Low Income Housing in the U.S. Fast

WHAT IS SECTION 8 HOUSING? Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937, often simply known as Section 8, as repeatedly amended, authorizes the payment of rental housing assistance to private landlords on behalf of approximately 3.1 million low-income households. It operates through several programs, the largest of which, the Housing Choice Voucher program, pays a large portion of the rents and utilities of about 2.1 million households. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development manages the Section 8 programs. The Housing Choice Voucher Program provides "tenant-based" rental assistance, so an assisted tenant can move with assistance from one unit of at least minimum housing quality to another. It also allows individuals to apply their monthly voucher towards the purchase of a home, with over $17 billion going towards such purchases each year (from ncsha.org analysis). The maximum allowed voucher is $2200 a month. Section8HousingLists.com provides housing by city or state. Section 8 also authorizes a variety of "project-based" rental assistance programs, under which the owner reserves some or all of the units in a building for low-income tenants, in return for a Federal government guarantee to make up the difference between the tenant's contribution and the rent specified in the owner's contract with the government. A tenant who leaves a subsidized project will lose access to the project-based subsidy. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and United States Department of Veterans Affairs have a special Section 8 program called VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing), or HUD-VASH, which gives out a certain number of Section 8 vouchers to eligible homeless and otherwise vulnerable US armed forces veterans.

Applicants may apply for a Section 8 housing voucher at any county or city housing authority office in their state, and although rules vary according to each authority, in general, residents of a particular area who receive a voucher from the jurisdiction in which they live may use the voucher anywhere in the country, but nonresidents of the jurisdiction must live in the jurisdiction that issues the voucher to them for 12 months before they can move to a different area. Also, priority for vouchers is often reserved for those who reside in the service area of that housing authority.

In many localities, the PHA waiting lists for Section 8 vouchers may be thousands of families long, waits of three to six years to access vouchers is common, and many lists are closed to new applicants. Wait lists are often briefly opened (often for just five days), which may occur as little as once every seven years. Some PHAs use a "lottery" approach, where there can be as many as 100,000 applicants for 10,000 spots on the waitlist, with spots being awarded on the basis of weighted or non-weighted lotteries, with priority sometimes given to local residents, the disabled, veterans, and the elderly. There is no guarantee that anyone will ever receive a spot on the waiting list. PublicHousingList.com will list sources for Public and Governement housing options and important links.

Do I Qualify for Section 8 Housing Program? What is Section 8? The Section 8 program is a government run housing program that provides affordable living choices for very low-income households. This assistance comes in the form of rental subsidies, limiting the monthly rent payment of the assistance recipient. This works by allowing families to find their own private housing instead of living in government run rental housing. Families who participate in the program must abide by a series of rules and regulations, often referred to as "family obligations," in order to maintain their voucher, including accurately reporting to the PHA all changes in household income and/or family composition so the amount of their subsidy (and the applicable rental unit size limitation) can be updated accordingly. In recent years, the HUD Office of the Inspector General has spent more time and money on fraud detection and prevention. How much will I pay? The public housing authority (PHA) generally pays the landlord the difference between 30 percent of household income and the PHA-determined payment standard (about 80 to 100 percent of the fair market rent) Your rent payment is based on your income. The voucher will pay anything above 30% of your adjusted monthly income up to an established limit. For example, if you earn $1,500 per month and the home you want rents for $800 per month, you would pay $450 and the voucher would cover the difference of $350 as long as the Fair Market Rent for your area is equal to or greater than $800. The PHA will pay the landlord the remainder of the rent over the agreed upon tenant's portion, subject to the FMR cap. The household may choose a unit with a higher rent than the FMR and pay the landlord the difference or choose a lower cost unit and keep the difference. Section 8 apartment listings can be seen at Section8HousingList.com. Am I eligible? To qualify for Section 8 you must be a low-income person (below 50% of the Area Median Income) and be able to provide proof of income. To determine what the income limits are in your area check with your local Public Housing Authority.

How do I apply for Section 8 Housing?

Section 8 is a Federal program administered nationally by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). However, the program is administered locally by public housing authorities or other designated agencies and organizations. If you are interested in applying for a voucher, contact the PHA. For further assistance, please contact the HUD office nearest to you.

How long does it take to get a voucher? It varies by area. Some areas of the country are busier than others. You may be able to move in to your new home immediately be wait-listed for years. In fact, many housing authorities frequently close their waiting lists and stop accepting applications because the waiting lists are so long. To find out about wait times in your area call your local public housing authority.

What is my responsibility? When a family selects a housing unit, and the PHA approves the unit and lease, the family signs a lease with the landlord for at least one year. The tenant may be required to pay a security deposit to the landlord. After the first year the landlord may initiate a new lease or allow the family to remain in the unit on a month-to-month lease.

When the family is settled in a new home, the family is expected to comply with the lease and the program requirements, pay its share of rent on time, maintain the unit in good condition and notify the PHA of any changes in income or family composition.

Additional Information about Section 8: For additional information about the voucher program, contact either the local PHA serving your community or the Office of Public Housing within your local HUD office. There may be a long wait for assistance under the housing voucher program. If the PHA also administers the public housing program,applicants for the housing choice voucher program may also ask to be placed on the waiting list for the public housing program. HUD also administers other subsidized programs and you may obtain a list of programs in your area from the Office of Housing at your local HUD office. Another source is GovernmentHousingLists.com and AmericaHousing.com

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