Your local Public Housing Agency (PHA) can terminate your Housing Choice (Section 8) Voucher program assistance for a variety of reasons. Some reasons include being evicted for a serious lease violation, a family member engaging in drug-related criminal activity in the home and owing money to your PHA.
In most cases, when a rule is broken, your PHA has the authority to deny assistance on a case-by-case basis — considering all the facts, the severity of the violation and the impact the decision has on other family members. In some cases, a PHA may continue assistance with the stipulation that the violating family member move out. If the violation was drug or alcohol related, a PHA may consider time in a supervised rehab program when making their final decision. The decision is not always black and white. It is in a family’s best interest to retain as much documentation as possible when facing termination.
If your PHA rules to terminate your Housing Choice (Section 8) Voucher program assistance, you have a right to appeal the decision. Your PHA is required to notify you in writing that your assistance is being terminated. If this happens to you, you can request a hearing before the deadline set by the PHA. No matter the reason for termination, your assistance will not be terminated before you’ve had a chance to appeal the decision.