ByHow to Apply for Section 8 Houses For Rent?
Obtaining affordable housing in the United States can be overwhelming — even stressful. Because of this, the U.S. government started its section 8 program, which helps fund those people who don't have access to safe and sanitary housing. This government-funded program is helping to reduce the rates of poverty and homelessness in the country. Each state and county has its own local housing authority that administers vouchers and has its own section 8 housing program.
Applying for section 8 by yourself can be time-consuming, hectic, and tedious since there's so much detailed documentation and information that's required. Not to mention, finding doesn't need to be as overwhelming and tedious as you may think it is.
This is because DoNotPay provides a service that will make obtaining a section 8 voucher so much faster, easier, and less frustrating. It becomes very convenient applying for section 8 when you use DoNotPay.
Who Is Eligible for Section 8 Housing?
Housing voucher eligibility is determined through the Public Housing Agency (PHA) based on family size and annual gross income. It's limited to citizens of the U.S. and certain categories of non-citizens with an immigration status that qualifies.
In general, the income of a family can't go over 50% of the county's or metropolitan area's median income. A PHA, by law, needs to offer 75% of its voucher to those applicants with incomes that don't go over 30% of the area median income. The HUD publishes the median income levels which vary by location. Your community's PHA can provide you with your area's family size limits and income limits.
For you to be eligible to , you need:
| Income Eligibility | You are making at or below the posted poverty line in your state. You are considered at the lowest income level if your family brings in only 30% or less of the average income in your area. You are still considered very low income if you only bring in 50% of that income and low income for 80%. |
| Age Eligibility | If you are above a certain age and still not bringing in enough income, you may qualify for Section 8 housing. Depending on a fixed income, those who are 65 and older could find themselves meeting these requirements. |
| Disability Eligibility | If you have been deemed disabled and unable to work, you are eligible for assistance, even as the head of household. |
In addition, you also fulfill the U.S. citizenship or immigrant status documentary criteria and have no prior evictions.
How to Apply for Section 8 Homes for Rent by Yourself
If you're thinking about applying for a low-income housing voucher, you'll want to contact your local PHA. For more help, call your nearest HUD office.
Steps involved in applying for section 8 include:
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Gather Information
The PHA will gather essential information on your family assets, income, and composition during the application process.
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Verify the Information
Your information will be verified by the PHA through:
- Your bank
- Your employer
- Other local agencies
They'll use the information to decide on whether you're eligible for the program or not and how big the housing assistance payment should be.
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Determine Eligibility & Waiting List
If they find you're eligible, they'll add your name to the waiting list, unless you require immediate assistance and they qualify you for that.
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Receive Housing Voucher
Once you have your name reached the top of the waiting list, you'll be contacted by the HUD and you'll receive a section 8 housing voucher.
Because the demand for section 8 frequently goes way over the local housing agencies and HUD's limited available resources, it's common to experience long waiting periods. In fact, a waiting list may be closed by a PHA if it has more families on its list than they can actually assist in the near future.
A PHA may have certain local preferences when they select their applicants off the waiting list. For instance, they may show a preference for families that are:
- Living in unsafe or substandard housing or being homeless.
- Involuntarily displaced.
- Voluntarily paying over 50% of its income for rent.
Qualifying families for any of these types of local preferences will be moved ahead on the waiting list over other families who don't qualify for these preferences. Local preferences will be at the discretion of the PHA to reflect the community's priorities and housing needs.
How to Apply for Section 8 Housing With the Help of DoNotPay
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 Use DoNotPay to Find Homes for Rent on Section 8
There are many reasons to use DoNotPay to help you find apartments that accept section 8 vouchers. You'll find DoNotPay to be:
- Fast: DoNotPay will eliminate the hassle of you spending hours locating and applying for section 8 housing for rent.
- Easy: DoNotPay will take the burden of you having to fill out tedious forms and having to track all of the necessary steps involved in applying for section 8.
- Successful: You can feel confident that DoNotPay will help you successfully apply for and be put on the waiting list for section 8 houses for rent.
What Else Can DoNotPay Do?
DoNotPay doesn't just stop at helping you find and apply for section 8 housing vouchers. We also have a range of other services you may be interested in using for different purposes, including:
- Taking individuals or businesses to small claims court
- Finding or canceling free trials
- Helping with unpaid bills
- Finding missing money
- Helping with DMV appointments
- Finding and applying for scholarships
- Filing complaints
- Reducing property taxes
Don't put yourself through the hassle of finding and applying for section 8 houses for rent all by yourself. DoNotPay is here to make the process much more streamlined.