Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)
The Housing Choice Voucher Program is intended to help low-income persons. It began in 1974 in order to disperse poor families from public housing projects and was part of a wider shift away from the large public housing projects and towards integration. Vouchers and housing help low-income individuals and families. Approximately two million people in the United States receive Housing Choice Voucher subsidies at any time.
Commonly called Section 8 Housing by the public, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development calls the program Housing Choice Vouchers. The voucher program allows those who qualify to find housing that suits their tastes and needs within a budget. It can be any type of housing that meets the program requirements.
The housing authority determines eligibility for housing vouchers based on the family’s size and annual gross income. The general rule is that the family income cannot exceed 50 percent of the median income for the county where the family lives. In addition, according to HUD, we must provide 75 percent of our vouchers to families whose income doesn’t exceed 30 percent of the local median income. The final eligibility requirement is that the vouchers are for U.S. citizens or non-citizens with an eligible immigration status.
You may apply for housing vouchers at our office or print an application on this website. The application gathers information on your family income, assets and family size. We will add your name to our waiting list for vouchers. We will verify the information on your application, determine whether your family is eligible for the program, and the amount of assistance for which you qualify.
Since it can take a long time until your name moves up the waiting list, some public housing authorities use local preferences. The Huron Housing Authority’s preferences used to move those most in need up the waiting list are targeting elderly and disabled families. We structure our preferences based on community needs and how to best allocate limited voucher resources.
Tenants must sign a lease with the landlord for at least one year. If a security deposit is required, the tenant is responsible to pay for it (Consider the Security Deposit Application). After the first year, the landlord can issue a new lease or rent to the family on a month-to-month basis. The tenant family must comply with any stipulations in the lease and housing voucher program requirements. The tenant needs to maintain the rental unit in good condition. Tenants also need to pay their rent on time and notify us of any changes in income or family composition within ten days of the occurrence.
You can read more about this program at hud.gov.
