Critical Information You Need to Know about the Section 8 Housing Program
- Author: Jacob Greene
- Posted: 2024-02-12
Find your local Public Housing Agency (PHA)
The first step is to find your local Public Housing Agency. You can do this by searching online or looking in the phone book. Once you have found your local PHA, you should contact them to find out if they have any open programs or waitlists. If the PHA does not have any open programs or waitlists, you may still be able to get help from them. Some PHAs have preference points that you may get help from the PHA if you have a special need, such as being elderly or disabled.
Besides, you may want to try contacting a different PHA through the portability setup. In other words, you benefit from a PHA in a different city or state. You will need to contact your current PHA to see if they have portability. It may sound challenging, but finding and contacting relevant authorities isn't as complicated as it may first appear.
Determine Your Eligibility
The next step is to find out if you're eligible for the program by contacting your local PHA. Remember to bring any documentation required, such as proof of income, residency, citizenship, or disability. Additionally, there are income limits in place for the program. Your household's "gross annual income" must be below 50% of the median income for the county or city in which you live.
Gross annual income includes wages, salaries, tips, child support, disability benefits, and alimony. The beauty is that the agency practices income targeting to give preference to applicants with the lowest incomes. On the other hand, they observe transparency to ensure that all applicants have a level playing field.
Fill Out and Submit the Application
Filling out the application is critical to getting assistance from the Section 8 program. You can get a paper application from your local PHA or fill out an online application.
To fill out a paper application, you will need to provide information about your family composition, income, assets, and expenses. You will also need to provide information about your current housing situation, including whether you are renting or owning your home and the amount of your rent or mortgage payments.
If you are filling out an online application, you will need to provide similar information. You may also be required to upload documents, such as proof of income or your most recent tax return. From there, submit the application to your local PHA. Remember to seek assistance if you have trouble during the application process. Once you have submitted your application, the PHA will review it to see if you are eligible for assistance and place you on a waiting list.
Find Out the Waiting List Status
The length of the waiting list will vary depending on the PHA. You can contact your local PHA to estimate how long it will be until you get housing assistance. However, it's advisable to get on as many waiting lists as possible to increase your chances of being housed sooner by applying to as many Section 8 housing programs as possible. Most people don't know about this trick and only apply it to one PHA, decreasing their chances of getting housing assistance.
What to Do after Receiving the Housing Voucher
Upon successful selection from the waiting list, the PHA will invite you to attend a briefing. You must then find a suitable housing unit and submit an application to the PHA. After approval, you'll move in and begin using your voucher. It's important to remember that you must use your voucher within a certain timeframe to avoid cancellation. The beauty is that with a voucher, the Section 8 program pays your property owner the difference between 30% of your monthly income (or 10%, if you have zero income) and the agreed rent amount.
The Section 8 Housing Program provides vouchers to low-income families to afford decent, safe housing. As you can see, getting a voucher can be lengthy but profitable. If you are currently struggling to find affordable housing, take the necessary step to apply for the Section 8 program today.
