How to Get Section 8 Immediately
For many families and individuals, paying rent is a monumental struggle every single month. When you have a tight budget and rent takes up a substantial portion of the household's monthly income, there's not much left over for the other necessities of life.
Section 8 is a form of housing assistance that subsidizes low-income tenants with as much as 70% of the cost of their rent. Section 8 is specifically for rentals from private landlords, which provides applicants with a unique opportunity to lower expenses without having to move into public housing.
Unfortunately, Section 8 programs are known for having a very long waiting list. The good news for those wondering is that there are ways to make the process faster if you qualify . Read on to learn more about the application process, and how DoNotPay's automated tools can help.
Who is Eligible for Section 8 Housing?
Section 8 is a federal program maintained by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, but it's enforced by local Public Housing Authorities. That means that eligibility can vary slightly from state to state, and even from county to county. However, there are some standard requirements that most programs will share.
Basic Rules to Qualify for Section 8
- Must be over 18 years old
- Have either US citizenship or immigration status, such as permanent residency
- Show proof of income for everyone in your household, including salaries, disability benefits, and child support
- All income adds up to less than 50 percent of the average income in the area where you want to live
Factors That Can Potentially Disqualify You
- A conviction for a drug-related crime that happened in or around Section 8 housing
- A conviction for a violent crime
- Having an eviction from Section 8 housing on your record, especially in the last 5 years
- Owe rent money to a Section 8 landlord
- Status as a sex offender
Also, while Section 8 is often referred to as a resource for families with children, low-income individuals that meet all the qualifications are eligible for this form of assistance as well.
How to Get Section 8 Immediately on Your Own
If you're wondering "Where do I go to apply for section 8", start by heading to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's website to find the contact information for your local Public Housing Authority. Each PHA has the following contact information you can use to get in touch and begin the application process:
- Phone number
- Fax number
- Email address
The demand for Section 8 vouchers is so high in most areas that qualified applicants can expect to spend 1 to 2 years, or even longer, on the waiting list. This is a major hardship for low-income families or individuals facing an urgent need for assistance because of a financial crisis.
While Section 8 is not necessarily designed to serve as emergency housing, most programs do have a priority list for applicants that can demonstrate a significant need. That means you may be able to get approved for a voucher within a matter of weeks or months, instead of years.
The main factors that would expedite your Section 8 application process are:
Low income | Your income is 30 percent or less than the average for your area |
Homelesness | You are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, or reside in a public shelter |
Disability | You have a physical or mental disability |
Senior Citizen | You are 62 years of age or older |
Military Veteran | You were honorably discharged from the US Military |
If you or someone in your household meets any of these requirements, it 's essential to include these factors in your initial paperwork, which is called the Section 8 pre-application. This is the information that will be evaluated by your local Public Housing authority to see if you qualify for the program and whether your case should be fast-tracked for approval.
How to Get Section 8 Immediately by Using DoNotPay
If you're in urgent need of applying for Section 8, get the ball rolling as quickly as possible by using DoNotPay's rental assistance tool to reach out to your local Public Housing Authority.
Filling out the pre-application paperwork for Section 8 can be a time- consuming process that requires a lot of attention to detail. DoNotPay helps you provide all the relevant information and place your application in the strongest position for potentially being expedited. You won't even have to go digging around for the PHA's contact information.
If you want to apply for Section 8 housing but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 2 easy steps:
- Answer a few questions about your income, family size, veteran/disability status, which county you hope to live in, etc.
- DoNotPay will find the PHA in charge of that county and contact them with all of your eligibility information to determine if you can start applying. They'll get back to you directly via email with the next steps.
Why Apply for Section 8 with DoNotPay
DoNotPay 's simple rental assistance tool uses artificial intelligence to take all the guesswork out of applying for Section 8. You won't have to wonder if you've filled out the paperwork correctly once your AI Consumer Champion is on the case. DoNotPay is the fast, simple, and legally-sound resource for so many important tasks, whether it's applying for section 8 or notarizing a document.
What Else Can DoNotPay Do?
The world's first AI Consumer Champion has created dozens of tools with an endless number of uses. With DoNotPay, you can:
- Cancel a subscription
- File a Freedom of Information request
- Process a product return to Walmart
- Report your landlord for tax evasion
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- Request a refund from Uber Eats
Make life easier and more convenient by downloading the DoNotPay app today!