The Housing Choice Voucher Program, which is also called Section 8 housing, helps very low-income individuals and families afford a safe place to live in the private real estate market. This means that if you qualify for the program, you can pick the apartment that you want to live in (if your landlord is enrolled in the program). It doesn’t have to be in a public housing facility.
This post is going to cover everything there is to know about the Housing Choice Voucher Program, including how it works, how to apply, what the eligibility requirements are, and more.
The Housing Choice Voucher Program Explained
The Housing Choice Voucher Program is run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The program helps people who have either very low income, or no income, pay for housing.
How Housing Vouchers Work
Once you are enrolled in the program, you will receive a housing voucher each month, which is administered by your local Public Housing Authority (PHA). These PHAs receive money from the federal government, which then goes to pay for local housing assistance throughout each region of the U.S.
You don’t get a direct payment or voucher from your PHA, though. The voucher money goes directly to your landlord. This way, your housing payment does not get mixed up with your other expenses.
How To Apply For Housing Vouchers
Each state has its own PHA. Find your local branch here.
Once you locate your local PHA, you can either apply on their website or in some cases, over the phone or in-person. Many branches are currently closed due to the pandemic, so the easiest way to apply is online.
Income Eligibility Requirements
Each local PHA decides the income eligibility requirements for housing vouchers. That’s because each region of the U.S. has a different cost of living. For example, it’s much more expensive to rent an apartment in New York City than it is in Cleveland.
As a general rule of thumb, individuals and families have to earn less than 50% of the median (average) income for their area. Let’s say you live in Queens, NY. The average household income there is around $64,000. This means your household would need to earn no more than $32,000 to qualify for a housing voucher.
The size of your household also matters. The more kids you have, and the more household members you have, the more money you will need to make to pay the bills. Therefore, larger households usually have a higher income eligibility amount than smaller households.
Think about it this way. If you have a big family, you need a bigger place to live, which costs more. You will also have more monthly expenses when it comes to food, clothes, utilities, medical bills, and any activities that your family members do.
Housing Eligibility Requirements
Voucher payments cannot be used at all residences. This is important to know up front before you sign a lease. If you plan on getting housing assistance from your local PHA, your landlord will have to agree to accept housing voucher payments as a part of your lease agreement.
This is because the voucher payments are going directly from the PHA to the landlord. With that said, if you currently live in a place that doesn’t accept vouchers, and you plan to apply for aid, you may be able to ask your landlord to sign up for the program.
Remember that if you need to apply for housing vouchers, the first step is contacting your local PHA.
