Housing Choice Voucher Assistance (HCV) and Project Based Voucher Assistance (PBV)
What is the Housing Choice / Project Based Voucher Program, otherwise known as "Section 8"?
"Section 8" is a common name for the Housing-Choice and Project-Based Voucher Programs, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. § 1437f) as repeatedly amended, authorizes the payment of rental housing assistance to private landlords on behalf of approximately 3.1 million low-income households in the United States. The largest part of the section is the Housing Choice Voucher program which pays a large portion of the rents and utilities of about 2.1 million households. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development manages the Section 8 programs.
The Housing Choice Voucher Program provides "tenant-based" rental assistance, so a tenant can move from one unit of at least minimum housing quality to another.
Section 8 also authorizes a variety of "project-based" rental assistance programs, under which the owner reserves some or all of the units in a building for low-income tenants, in return for a federal government guarantee to make up the difference between the tenant's contribution and the rent in the owner's contract with the government. A tenant who leaves a subsidized project will lose access to the project-based subsidy.
How can I apply for "Section 8" Assistance?
Housing Choice Vouchers allow low-income families to choose and lease safe, decent, and affordable privately-owned rental housing. Because the demand is often overwhelming, you may only apply when a waitlist is open. You do not need to reside or work in the City that has a waitlist opening in order to apply.