What is the section 8 housing voucher is about? How is it helping the tenants? What is the minimum amount that a tenant needs to pay? Let us know the answers to all these questions by the end of this article.
It is a program that the United States came up with in 1938 to give convenience in the rent they pay. It came into existence because not every resident would pay the amount that a landlord says. So, the rent price is fixed according to the income of the occupant. And the remaining amount will be paid by the government to the owner.
Let us know more details about this.
What is a section housing program?
Section 8 is a federal low-income rental assistance program managed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Section 8 is usually used to describe the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, which helps tenants pay rent based on their income and pays to participate, landlords, the remainder of the rent.
In this program, the tenant typically pays 30% of their monthly income for housing costs. It got its name from being Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937.
But this applies only to the persons whose income is less. Less here means that every September, they receive applications from citizens and verify their income before confirming this policy. Only selected candidates are given this allowance under the section 8 housing voucher.
Also, house owners are ineligible to apply for this program, and only tenants who live in rented houses are eligible.
How much does a section 8 housing voucher worth?
Under the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, most tenants will pay 30% of their monthly income. The Public Housing Authority that issued and approved the voucher will pay the landlord the remainder of the rent and utility costs.
In cases where the market rate rent of a unit exceeds the payment standard set by the Public Housing Authority, tenants may be required to pay up to 40% of their monthly income. However, by law, contributions towards rent from a tenant may not be more than 40% of their monthly income.
So, the amount you will be getting under this grant is not fixed, and it keeps on varying with your income and will be completely dependent on the amount you get monthly.
All the applicants are kept under the waiting list until the United States government approves them for allowance.
How can one check their status on a waiting list?
If you want to check your status on a waiting list, you can contact the housing provider for instructions. The method of how to find out your status may vary by state. Some branches do not provide your specific position on the waiting list but may confirm if you are currently on the waiting list.
If the office cannot state your specific position on the waiting list, the representative may confirm the date they are currently pulling applications from. For example, if you applied in January 2016, and the office is pulling applicants who applied in January 2013, you likely still have a long wait for assistance.
If a housing authority cannot provide information on your current wait time, ask to read its Annual Plan. It is a document updated yearly with details about the current number of households on their waiting lists and the office’s annual turnover rate.
You can use simple math to estimate the length of the waiting list based on these numbers. With these, you can have an idea about when yours will be signed, as they follow the first-come, first-serve principle.
Does this voucher pay your other monthly costs?
Actually no. You should be again eligible for their utility program for your monthly utilities provided by the section 8 housing voucher.
If your income is extremely low or at zero, the Housing Authority will calculate to see if your family qualifies for the utility allowance. The grant will send a monthly utility reimbursement check to you or directly pay it to the utility company if you are eligible.
Conclusion
We hope you got the information about the section 8 housing voucher that you are looking for.