Rent can be a burden for so many people. Not everyone can pay that much money for rent if they want their housing expenses to be affordable. According to the definition from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), affordable housing expenses should be no more than 30% of a household’s gross monthly income. If you find yourself in such a bind and need assistance to get out, you should look into the Section 8 Housing Assistance program.
What is the Section 8 Program?
The official name of this program is the Housing Choice Voucher program. It also goes by the name of Section 8. Both terms refer to the same federal housing assistance program that has been helping low-income people with rentals since 1974. HUD funds this program, but it is administered by the local public housing agencies (PHAs).
As indicated by its name, the HCV program provides low-income families and individuals with housing choice vouchers. The vouchers will be paid to the landlord of the rental that the recipients choose on behalf of the household. However, the housing unit that recipients choose must meet specific housing quality standards (HQS). HQS regulations currently include 13 major requirements of housing quality, performance requirements, and acceptability conditions for meeting each performance requirement.
About the HCV Program Eligibility…
There are four primary factors that determine if you are eligible for assistance under the Section 8 program including:
- The Family Situation
- Total Income Limit
- Citizenship Status
- Eviction History
You must fulfill all of the requirements for the program to accept you. Keep in mind that specific eligibility requirements will vary depending on the area. You should also keep in mind that once you apply and if approved, you will likely be placed on a waitlist. A waitlist is needed because many families are applying, yet there is only a limited amount of support available for this program. Hang in there, you should get your voucher eventually if you are approved!
The Family Situation
To qualify for Section 8 assistance, your family status must meet certain conditions. Although HUD has a specific definition of a family, they authorize the local PHA to set their definition of a family as well.
You should contact your local PHA to check if your family is qualified. Changes in household size must be reported immediately as they affect the amount of help you can receive. Sometimes for the better!
Total Income LimitÂ
The income level requirement is another aspect that determines Section 8 assistance eligibility. Since the HCV program aims to help low-income people, applicants’ annual income should not exceed a certain limit. Qualified families typically need to earn less than the outline threshold of the local area’s median income (AMI). It is different from one area to another. You should expect your local housing agency to need proof of income like recent bank statements (amongst other forms of documentation!). The specific documentation that you will need to provide can vary as well.
Citizenship Status
Only American citizens and qualifying non-citizens can benefit from this program. That is why when applying for these benefits, applicants and the family members that will be in their household will need to sign a certification form. These certification forms will state the citizenship status of the individual. However, there may be more documentation required by your local PHA. This can include documentation like:
- Passports from the U.S.
- Registration cards
- Resident alien cards
- Social Security cards
It’s important to note that if your household has members that have qualifying citizenship status and don’t have qualifying citizenship status, you still may be able to receive benefits. However, the benefits will only be based on the number of qualifying individuals.
Eviction History
The eviction history of a person informs the local PHA about the type of renter the recipient used to be. Who knows, someone could have been unreliable or careless with previous rentals. That is why typically households will need to have a positive rental history to qualify. Applicants may automatically disqualify if they have a history of eviction from a property for a drug-related activity or other criminal activity. Another way that an applicant may be disqualified is if they have been convicted of manufacturing methamphetamines in government housing.
Conclusion
To summarize, the Section 8 Assistance program can be the ideal solution to your problem with paying affordable rent. It is possible that you will have to wait for a while before receiving any financial support. However, you will be able to save a significant amount of money on your housing expenses with this support opportunity if you qualify.
The Section 8 program gives recipients the freedom to find a qualifying unit of their choice and pays a portion of your rent with housing choice vouchers on your behalf to the landlord. Eligibility requirements will vary depending on the area. However, four factors that will be important are income level, family status, citizenship status, and eviction history. If you want to begin the process or have any questions about this housing support opportunity, get in touch with your local PHA.
