Get Your Housing Voucher from New Mexico Housing Authority

Local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) administer New Mexico's Housing Choice Voucher program. Qualified individuals can apply to any of the 42 PHAs that are part of the New Mexico Housing Authority. If you are looking for housing in multiple PHAs locations, you should apply for Section 8 housing in each PHA simultaneously.

The voucher program is part of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 rental assistance program. Each PHA maintains a waiting list of qualified applications and uses the list to set priorities when issuing vouchers. Individuals must meet eligibility requirements to be placed on the list. If approved, their rental choice must meet HUD standards.

Who Is Eligible for a Housing Choice Voucher?

The New Mexico Housing Authority provides rental assistance to low-income families, disabled individuals, and the elderly to help ensure they can afford quality housing.

Participants are not limited to rental units in subsidized housing but can choose any apartment, single-family unit, or townhouse based on family size.

Family Definition

Individuals applying for rental assistance must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a PHA-defined family. Families may be groups of individuals living together.
• Have a head of household who is 18 years old unless an emancipated minor
• Must prove citizenship or immigration status
• Have an annual income that does not exceed HUD limits
• Cannot have a drug-related criminal record

PHA determines if your family meets its definition of a family.

Income Limits

New Mexico's housing authority provides rental assistance to very low-income families. It uses the median family income to determine eligibility. To qualify, a family's gross income must be below 50% of the median family income. Some metropolitan areas within the state require applicants to have a gross family income of 30% of the median family income. The following table shows examples of the median family income and the maximum qualifying income for select metropolitan locations.

Legally, 75% of vouchers go to families below 30% of median family income in these regions.

Are There Housing Standards?

HUD requires that all housing units meet the following 13 requirements to qualify as Section 8 housing:

1. Sanitary Facilities
2. Food Preparation and Refuse Disposal
3. Space and Security
4. Thermal Environment
5. Illumination and Electricity
6. Structure and Materials
7. Interior Air Quality
8. Water Supply
9. Lead-Based Paint
10. Access
11. Site and Neighborhood
12. Sanitary Conditions
13. Smoke Detectors

Qualified participants can choose any property as long as it meets HUD quality standards. Local PHA inspectors evaluate the property. If the property passes inspection, the PHA signs a contract with the landlord to pay a rental subsidy. Participants sign a tenancy agreement to pay any rent above the PHA-provided subsidy.

How to Apply to the New Mexico Housing Authority

Before applying, be sure you have the following documents:

• Proof of income, and
• Identification of all family members

These documents will be required before PHA will add you to a waiting list for the housing voucher program. The demand for housing rental assistance is high throughout New Mexico and it may take years before your application reaches the top of the waiting list. Some locations may stop accepting applications if the waiting list becomes too long.

1. Contact the PHAs where you want to find housing.
2. Determine if applications are being accepted.
3. Complete a pre-application form.
4. Wait for PHA to contact you.

Pre-application forms hold your place on the waiting list, but you will need to complete an application once your pre-application is selected.

How to Apply for New Mexico’s Housing Voucher Program With DoNotPay

If you don't have time to pick up an application at the local PHA program or can't wait until an application is mailed, use DoNotPay's Section 8 Housing product to determine if you can apply for assistance.

1. Answer a few questions about your income, family size, veteran/disability status, which county you hope to live in, etc.

2. 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.

With DoNotPay's online service, you can minimize some of the red tape government-funded programs require. DoNot Pay can help you get Section 8 housing quickly.

Why Use DoNotPay to Apply for New Mexico’s Housing Voucher Program?

Using DoNotPay to apply for New Mexico Section 8 housing means spending more time on what's important and less time on paperwork. You don't have to worry about your application because DoNotPay's online service is:

1. Reliable. DoNotPay's automated service works until the task is done. The technology doesn't care how many times it has to resend an application request before it completes your application for Section 8 housing/
2. Convenient. The online service is available 24/7. You don't have to find time to contact a government agency during business hours. You can use DoNotPay from the comfort of your home after hours.
3. Easy-to-Use. DoNotPay's services are easy-to-use. Just find the service you're looking for and follow the instructions. No scrolling for pages or jumping from one page to another. Everything you need is in one place, making it simple to use. It takes a few simple steps to start on your Section 8 housing application.

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

Aside from New Mexico Housing Authority, here is additional information you may need for your Section 8 housing questions.

• How to Apply for Section 8
• Apply for Section 8
• How to Get Section 8 Immediately
• Section 8 Vouchers
• Section 8 Rental Assistance Programs
• Section 8 Government Housing
• Where to Fill Out for Section 8
• Section 8 Housing Application Form
• Low-Income Housing
• HUD Housing Application

Let DoNotPay help you simplify your life.