Housing Choice (Section 8) vouchers offer low-income families assistance with their rent payments. Local Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) administer the program in their area. The first step to receiving a voucher is to contact your local PHA to begin the application process.
As with most government programs, there are extensive eligibility requirements families must be before enrolling in the program. Understanding what information you will be asked to provide when applying can help the application process go as smoothly as possible. PHAs are unable to process incomplete applications, so be sure to provide all the information ask for to the best of your knowledge when submitting your application.
Family information
In addition to providing your basic contact information including name, current address, phone number and email address, you will be asked to provide information about all members of your household, including yourself. You should be prepared to share the name, sex, relation to you, social security number, date of birth and age of all members of your household. You will likely be asked addition questions about your family such as if the head (yourself) or co-head of the household is a veteran, elderly or has a disability.
Household income
Housing Choice (Section 8) voucher assistance is reserved for low-income families. Your PHA can advise you of the income limits for the program according to your location and family size. Families earning less than 50% of the median income for there area are likely to qualify, though in some rare cases, families earning more than that may qualify.
In your application you will be required to share income information for all family members. This includes the amount and source of the income. All income should be reported on the application, including income from sources other than a job (e.g. TANF, retirement accounts, child support, etc.).
History of criminal activity
Though the weight of this information varies by area, your Housing Choice (Section 8) Voucher program application will ask about household members past experience with criminal activity. If any member of your household has been evicted from public housing for drug-related criminal activity within the last 3 years, your family will not be eligible for housing assistance. If anyone in your family has been placed on a state sex offender registration list, you will also likely not be eligible for assistance.
Applications are reviewed in great detail and it is not a good idea to provide false information or omit information. If you are found to have untruthfully filled out any portion of your application, it is considered fraud and you will greatly jeopardize your chances of being enrolled in the program.
