Application Process for Low Income Houses

Applicants for a Section 8 voucher must provide documentation of the household's total income.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, provides funding for affordable housing programs to help low-income families pay rent. The family is required to pay 30 percent of their income toward rent. HUD pays the remaining balance. The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program helps low-income families with rental payments in a neighborhood of their choice. The local Housing Authority is responsible for determining the tenant's rent and paying the landlord HUD's portion of the rent.

Housing Authority

Renters interested in obtaining a Section 8 voucher should contact the local Housing Authority. The Housing Authority will give you more information on the Section 8 program and how to apply for help. Depending on the availability of funds, you may be able to apply right away or be placed on a waiting list. If you are placed on a waiting list, the Housing Authority will notify you when vouchers become available.

Application

An application must be submitted to the Housing Authority to obtain a Section 8 voucher. The application will ask for the applicant's current contact information, income and Social Security number. Other household members will also need to provide this information. The applicant must meet the low-income limit level to be eligible for help. Some Housing Authorities will give priority to households that have extremely low or very low income levels. The household will also be screened for criminal history. HUD requires that applicants with drug-related criminal activity or lifetime sex offender registration be denied help.

Search for Housing

Once the applicant has been approved, he has a limited amount of time to locate rental housing that will accept the Section 8 voucher as a form of payment. The renter must locate a rental that meets the Housing Authority's Fair Market Rental rates. This is the rent limit that the Housing Authority is willing to subsidize for the Section 8 voucher holder. If the renter cannot find suitable housing within the time frame allotted, he may lose his voucher.

Housing Quality Standards

The rental unit that the Section 8 voucher holder selects must meet HUD's Housing Quality Standards. These standards were developed to ensure Section 8 tenants are housed in decent and sanitary living conditions. The Housing Authority will schedule a home inspection. Some key aspects that will be evaluated during the home inspection are food preparation areas, sanitary facilities, security, interior air quality and water supply. The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher programs requires a home inspection to be competed on an annual basis.

References

• HUD.gov: Housing Choice Vouchers Fact Sheet
• HUD.gov: Housing Quality Standards (HQS) -- Frequently Asked Questions