Housing Choice Voucher Program and Its Impact on Low-Income Families

The Housing Choice Voucher Program or also known as Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937 is funded by the federal government and handled by the Department of Housing.

Housing and Urban Development aim to support low-income and poor families to have appropriate and comfortable houses for each and every member of the family.

The said voucher gives assistance for the beneficiaries to be stable in paying for their house. The voucher does not have limits according to the classifications of houses that they will pay whether they owned it or apartments as long as they meet the guidelines for the said program.

As the individuals that are qualified for the program are free to choose their housing unit, they will pay thirty percent up to forty percent of the adjusted income of their household while the remaining fee will be paid by the Public Housing Agency to the landlords directly as they are the ones who manage the said vouchers.

As of now, there are 2,400 HUD Public Housing Agencies all over the nation which handle the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV). Furthermore, almost five million individuals and over 2.3 million low-income families benefit from the voucher.

Landlords should follow the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) process if they will evict tenants that are under the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV).

Qualifications in order to be a Beneficiary of Housing Choice Voucher Program

The eligibility for the Program is the following:

• Must be 18 years old and above and a U.S Citizen. Non-citizens can also be qualified as long as they have eligible immigration status.
• Single individuals are also qualified and households are even without or with children.
• The income limit of the household should not exist at 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI) within the area where the voucher will be used. The income of the minors in the household is excluded. You can get your household’s Area Median Income (AMI) by your gross income.

Steps Should You Follow to Apply for the Program

For the application to become a beneficiary of the Housing Choice Voucher Program, you can go to the hud website and check the application. Remember, the applicants on the waiting list have a great advantage as they are the ones who are being prioritized first.

So you must be notified when the application for the said voucher is open. This mainly happens because the limited funds were not able to cover the extensions of housing assistance as it exceeds.

Moreover, you can also inquire with your Local Housing Agency in order for you to ask specific questions regarding the Housing Choice Voucher Program. In addition, you can also check the Public and Indian Housing (PIH) Customer Service Center’s Website.

Requirements You’ll Need in Applying for Housing Choice Voucher Program

Upon applying for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, you can prepare the following information:

1. Family name and voucher number.
2. Address of the property.
3. Landlord complete contact information.
4. Landlord vendor ID.
5. Lease renewal date.
6. Current rent.
7. Requested rent.
8. Proposed effective date

Tips for applying to Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program

• Before applying, check if you’re eligible for the program
• Upon applying, be sure that you’ll have all the documents or papers that you need
• You can only apply once for the program

Obligations of Tenant, Landlord, PHA, and HUD

• Tenant: The landlord may require the tenant to pay a security deposit. As the family supported by the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program comes, they will automatically pay for their part of the house rent.
• Landlord: The house that will be rented by the family supported by HCV Program must be safe, and comfortable and pass the Housing Quality Standards and maintain it appropriately as they receive the payment for the housing assistance. Landlords are also obligated to have served as what is the agreement and contract with the Public Housing Agency (PHA).
• Public Housing Agency (PHA): They are assigned to handle the families that are supported by the HCV Program. They will provide housing assistance to each family, sign an agreement and contract between the beneficiaries and landlord and also inspect the beneficiary as they meet the Housing Quality Standard. They should also give an administrative review for the program beneficiaries.
• Department Of Housing And Urban Development (HUD): They serve as the director of the program as they cover the financial assistance and maintain the funding for the said program so that the Public Housing Agency (PHA) will be able to assist and help each eligible individual.

Is There Any Disqualification Rule for the Housing Choice Voucher Program?

Yes, as the Housing Choice Voucher Program was under Law, there are specific charges that can remove or disqualify you from the Program.

These are the following:

• Been violent crimes, fraud, or even drug trafficking
• If you exceed the standard household income.