Section 8 Housing Explained

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Section 8 Housing

(UnitedReader.com) – With housing prices soaring across the country, more families than ever are struggling to find affordable housing. Housing Choice Vouchers, also known as Section 8 Vouchers, can help make housing more affordable for low-income families.

Who Qualifies for Section 8 Vouchers?

Qualifications for Section 8 vouchers may depend on the family’s income and location. Generally, eligible families include those who make less than 50% of the median income for the area where they live, based on their family size. Public Housing Authorities must also assign at least 75% of their vouchers to those who make less than 30% of the area median income.

Many areas also have specific preferences for how they will allocate their available housing vouchers. Some areas may, for example, give precedence to active duty or former military service members, disabled individuals, or the elderly. Others may give precedence to families who are already homeless, or who are on the verge of becoming homeless if they cannot find another reasonable option.

In addition, only US citizens or immigrants with eligible immigration status will be able to receive Section 8 vouchers.

How Do Section 8 Vouchers Work?

Section 8 vouchers allows families their choice of available housing from landlords who are willing to accept those vouchers. Section 8 vouchers will offer a specific payment, usually set at the state level based on cost of living in the area, for rent for a certain family size. If the residence where the family wants to live costs more than the amount of the voucher, the family will need to make arrangements to pay any additional amount. The vocher payment is made directly to the landlord.

Section 8 housing vouchers can be a much more effective option for many families than government housing, which would require families to stay in a specific area that might not be suitable for a given family’s needs.

Rental units used by recipients of Section 8 vouchers will need to meet the government’s minimum standards of health and safety. Regular inspections will help ensure that the property remains functional and safe for the families living there.

In some cases, depending on income level, families may need to pay a certain amount of their income in rent each month. Rent requirements will be based on the family’s income level.

How to Apply for Section 8 Housing

If you need Section 8 housing assistance, start by visiting your local Public Housing Authority website. You can expect to provide information that will allow the Public Housing Authority to determine more information about your family and your need, including:

Names and social security numbers for all household members
Tax forms and other proof of income
Proof of disability, military service, or anything else that might entitle the family to a higher level of priority

Moving through the application process for Section 8 housing can be very difficult. Most areas have long waiting lists for state housing assistance. In some cases, states or local areas may even close those waiting lists when they feel that they do not have a reasonable chance of providing for the people already on that list in a reasonable timeframe, based on the resources available. However, even though there may be a long wait for Section 8 housing assistance, it can prove well worth the effort for many families that would otherwise be homeless or unable to pay their bills due to high rent costs.

Do you need Section 8 housing assistance? While you wait, consider applying for emergency assistance or looking into programs in your area that will help make rent and other payments more affordable, and get your name on the waiting list when it opens up so that you can receive that assistance sooner.