How to Apply for Section 8 Vouchers in Arizona
If you require rental assistance, HUD's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program might be the perfect fit. With Section 8 benefits, low-income families can rent any property where the landlord accepts Section 8 tenants. Prospective applicants to Section 8 programs across Arizona, however, face the same major stumbling block as people in other states -- closed and long waiting lists. Waiting list issues aside, you follow the same procedures to apply for Section 8 assistance in Arizona as you do elsewhere in the nation.
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Instructions
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Verify that you qualify for Section 8 assistance. Your combined household income cannot exceed 50 percent of your area's median income. Specific figures vary by family size and location. For instance, $27,000 makes up 50 percent of Prescott, Arizona's median income for a family of four, but this number drops to $23,450 in Yuma, as of 2010.
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Call the public housing agency that runs the Section 8 program in your area. Locate the appropriate agency at HUD's website.
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Ask about the status of the agency's Section 8 waiting list. Most programs must use a waiting list because of strong demand for Section 8 vouchers and limited supply. For example, the city of Phoenix serves more than 5,400 families through the Section 8 program, but its wait list is closed, as of December 2010, with a wait time of more than five years for those currently on the list.
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Ask if you qualify for Section 8 preferences. A local preference can move you ahead of other families. Common local preferences go to homeless families and households devoting more than half of the earnings to housing costs. Nationally, a HUD mandate requires local housing agencies to distribute 75 percent of its Section 8 assistance to families with incomes at or below 30 percent of their area's median. In Phoenix, for instance, 30 percent of the median for four people is $20,000, as of 2010.
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Get on your agency's wait list when it is open. Complete a Section 8 application. While some agencies provide applications online, you may need to visit a housing office in your area or have an application mailed to you. Section 8 applications ask for basic information about the members of your household, family income and rental history.
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Wait. When your name reaches the top of the waiting list, expect a phone call from your local housing agency. Schedule an eligibility interview. Bring the verification documents the housing agency representative requests. You will need to confirm household makeup using Social Security numbers and birth certificates and document income with pay stubs, tax returns and bank statements. Once approved for a voucher, you can use it to seek rental housing.
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