Section 8 Housing Vouchers & the Code of Regulations

Participant Eligibility

To qualify for a Section 8 voucher, you must meet the very low income limit level for your county. The very low income limit is defined as 50 percent of the area median income. The income limit also will vary depending on the size of your household. To receive the maximum rental subsidy amount, all household members must be U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens. All household members over the age of 18 will be screened for drug-related criminal activity and lifetime sex offender registration. Your family will not be admitted into the program if a household member does not pass these screening requirements.

During the application process, you will be required to provide the Social Security numbers for all household members, identification cards and birth certificates. You need to sign the application certifying that all information provided is true and accurate. Once you have completed the application and supplied the supporting documentation, the housing specialist will provide you a certain time frame to locate a rental that meets HUD's guidelines. The housing unit's rental rate cannot exceed HUD's Fair Market Rent determined for the area. Also, the home must pass HUD's Housing Quality Standards for you to live in it. Since funding is limited, you may be be placed on a waiting list for a voucher.

Property owners who want to participate in the Section 8 program need to advertise that they accept Section 8 renters at their property. Once the landlord locates a Section 8 renter, the tenant will request the housing authority to conduct an inspection. The housing inspector will evaluate the conditions of the food preparation and sanitary facilities, interior air quality, water supply, neighborhood and structure of the home. If the home does not pass the initial inspection, the property owner is provided a list of corrections and allowed a chance to bring the home up to the Housing Quality Standards.

The landlord is required to have the tenant sign a HUD Model Lease. The lease outlines the tenant's and HUD's responsibility to pay the rent. The lease and attachments must be signed by all the household members over the age of 18. Section 8 landlord's are allowed to collect a refundable security deposit at the time of move-in. The property owner must conduct a move-in inspection with the tenant present to document the condition of the rental prior to occupancy. Once the tenant vacates the unit, she is entitled to her security deposit less any expenses for repairs to the unit.