Section 8 Housing Program
Abstract
The Section 8 housing program is an assistance initiative in the United States. This
article is the first to provide a detailed study of the benefits received by participating
families, as well as a comparison of those benefits to the costs incurred by the federal
government. Section 8 New Construction projects provide decent housing at a
reasonable cost to low-income families who are lucky enough to be accepted by the
development.
Introduction
The federal government's main program for assisting very low-income households, the
elderly, and the disabled to afford monthly expenses and rent, clean, and sanitary
housing in the private sector is the Section 8 voucher program.
With the amendment of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, the
Section 8 housing voucher program was created. The section 8 housing voucher
program is a federal rental assistance program that helps low-income homeowners
cover a portion of their rent costs. The US Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) funds Section 8 housing vouchers for landlords and tenants.
Participants of Section 8 Housing, i.e. renters, choose their own rental unit and pay a
portion of the household's monthly adjusted sum to rent. The Public Housing Authority,
which maintains the Household's Voucher, pays the remaining rent.
Types of Section 8 housing program
From the research it is found that there are four major types of Section 8 housing
program. They are:
1. Tenant-Based Housing Choice Voucher
2. HCV Homeownership Program
3. Project-Based Voucher(PBV)
4. Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)
1. Tenant based housing choice voucher
The voucher follows the tenant in a tenant-based housing preference voucher program.
The most common section 8 voucher is the Tenant-Based Housing Voucher. With a
tenant-based voucher, you will find your own place as long as the landlord wishes to
participate in the scheme.
In this scheme, tenants can apply for a voucher to any property if it meets the direction
of PHA.
2. HCV Homeownership Program
Some Section 8 voucher services may assist qualifying families in finding and
purchasing a home in addition to finding rental housing. In the year 2000, the HCV
Homeownership Voucher program was created. Families with a Section 8 voucher can
use it to help buy a home and pay for monthly home ownership costs under this
initiative.
3. Project-Based Voucher(PBV)
The Project-Based Voucher is a type of Section 8 voucher that is tied to a specific
property. The PHA issues a specified number of vouchers to private property owners
each year to reserve units for Section 8 tenants. If you move in and then leave, the
subsidy remains with the property; it does not take you to the next residence. These
spots will fill up fast, so you may have to wait.
4. Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)
Rental assistance provided by projects is not a voucher, but rather a form of rental
subsidy. Since the deficit is subsidized by the Section 8 program, a landlord may rent a
unit for less than market value. PBRA benefits are allocated to a unit, not a renter or
household, and were established in 1974. However, since 1983, no new contracts for
this form of housing assistance have been funded by the federal government.
Working Flow of Section 8 Housing Program
The Section 8 housing program is administered and monetized by the Public Housing
Authority (PHA). The rent would be 30 percent of your monthly income if you are
effective in getting a Section 8 Voucher and finding a home that can accommodate it.
Section 8 eligible vouchers must be applied for at a local housing office. Section 8
tenants must be eligible to participate in the program.
Qualifying families can find a rental unit of their choice after obtaining a voucher that
covers up to 70% of the monthly rent and utility costs. The remaining 30% is the
responsibility of the families. Typically, Section 8 offers rental assistance to people with
disabilities, senior citizens, and low-income families.
Eligibility criteria for Section 8 housing program
The Public Housing Authority administers the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program. This
program's goal is to provide housing vouchers to those who meet the criteria. Such
requirements, such as citizenship, family status, income, and eviction history, must be
met in order to obtain a Section 8 Housing Voucher.
Citizenship
You may apply for the Section 8 Housing Program whether you are a US citizen or have
a qualifying immigrant status. Individuals or applicants must submit proof of citizenship
or eligible immigration status to the public housing authority in order to obtain a section
8 housing voucher.
In the case of Americans, they have to declare that their whole family members are
american citizens. Eligible candidates have to sign a declaration paper under PHA.
Income
The income range can vary depending on the size of the family. For families with one to
eight members, income limits have been created. A family of one would have an
extremely low income of $15,000 per year, while a family of eight would have an
extremely low income of $30,000.
Family status
The PHA has set some criteria for family status to be eligible for Section 8 housing
programs. Those criteria are:
● With or without children
● Any of the individual in the family is physically disabled or not
● Any of the individual in the family is of age over 62
● Has been displaced from their home due to the government actions or due to the
destruction caused by the natural disasters.
● Who stays in a housing unit where the household is receiving the section 8
vouchers after other families move out.
● A single individual who doesn’t fit in any of the criteria above.
Eviction history
Anyone that has been evicted from a property for committing a drug-related crime
during the last three months or has been found manufacturing methamphetamine in a
supported living facility will not be eligible for Section 8 Vouchers.
Application procedure for Section 8 Voucher Program
The Section 8 Housing Voucher Program is a federal rental aid program that assists
low-income homeowners with paying a portion of their rent. To apply for Section 8
housing voucher services, there are three basic steps to take. The following steps are
briefly listed below:
Obtaining the Application
The application form for Section 8 housing program can be obtained from the internet,
or by mail, or by visiting the PHA and the application is available free of charge.
Completing the Application
All the required fields mentioned in the application form like name, address, email, DOB,
and other required must be filled correctly.
Submitting the Application
Applicants should submit the application before the deadline to be eligible for the
program. It can be submitted either online or offline.
Conclusion
Section 8 voucher program is the direct housing aid initiative for low-income families.
This arrangement has yielded some results. Through the initiative, more than three
million families have been able to find secure and adequate housing at a rate that is
considered affordable.
