Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers

 

The housing choice voucher program is the federal government's major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments. The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects. The program serves the most economically vulnerable families in the country, including families with disabilities, elderly families, formerly homeless veterans, and families with children, through federal assistance voucher payments in the provision of meeting their rental housing needs. HUD regulations merged the former Section 8 Rental Voucher program (14.855) with the former Section 8 Certificate program (14.857). Section 502 of the Public Housing Reform Act states that a purpose of the legislation is "consolidating the voucher and certificate programs for rental assistance under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (the "USHA") into a single market-driven program that will assist in making tenant-based rental assistance more successful at helping low-income families obtain affordable housing and will increase housing choice for low-income families". The HCVP is administered by local public housing agencies (PHAs) authorized under State law to operate housing programs within an area or jurisdiction. The PHAs receive federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer the voucher program. The PHA accepts a familys application for rental assistance, selects the applicant family for admission, and issues the selected family a voucher confirming the familys eligibility for assistance. The family must then find and lease a dwelling unit suitable to the familys needs and desires in the private rental market. The PHAs sign Housing Assistant Payment contracts with the landlords, and housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by the PHA on behalf of the participating family. The family then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program. Under certain circumstances, if authorized by the PHA, a family may use its voucher to purchase a modest home.

Active 14.871 Office of Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development C - Direct Payments For Specified Use Fiscal Year 2016 The program projects to serve 2.2 million families. The program served 2.2 million families.
Fiscal Year 2017 The program projects to serve 2.2 million families.
Fiscal Year 2018 The program projects to serve 2.2 million families
Fiscal Year 2019 The HCV program has proven to be effective at meeting the housing needs of our most vulnerable citizens compared to other approaches. For example, in October 2016, HUD published the results of the Family Options Study. Launched in 2008, the study’s goal was to determine which housing and services interventions work best for families with children experiencing homelessness. Reports published in July 2015 and October 2016 presented evidence regarding the effects of giving families in emergency shelters priority access to housing choice vouchers, rapid re­housing, or project-based transitional housing. The study team followed the families for 3 years and measured outcomes in five domains of family well-being: (1) housing stability, (2) family preservation, (3) adult well-being, (4) child well-being, and (5) self-sufficiency. The study determined that the HCV program was the most effective intervention of the approaches tested. HCV intervention reduced most forms of residential instability by more than one half, reduced food insecurity, and improved multiple measures of adult and child well-being.
Fiscal Year 2020 HUD is making $21.5 billion available for tenant-based assistance, which means the assistance is not permanently associated to a unit or project, but rather to an individual family.
Fiscal Year 2023 The FY23 Enacted Bill makes $30.3 billion available for the Tenant Based Rental Assistance program. This funding level includes $26.4 billion in Housing Choice Voucher contract renewals, including $200 million HAP set aside and up to $7.5 million for Tribal VASH Grants and Renewals, $2.8 billion in administrative fees, $337 million in tenant protection vouchers, $607 million for Mainstream Vouchers, $50 million for VASH vouchers, $30 million for FUP vouchers, and $50 million for new fair share vouchers.
Fiscal Year 2024 HUD estimates $32.7 billion for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA). The HCV program seeks to: provide greater access to housing choice and better housing opportunities for very low- and extremely low-income families; reduce the number of chronically homeless individuals, families, and veterans; and reverse the effects of residential segregation in the pursuit of racial equity. The 2024 estimates $565 million for another 50,000-voucher expansion of the HCV program. This expansion will continue broadening the Federal housing safety net and provide greater access to areas of opportunity for very low-income families. It proposes $5 million for HUD Tribal VASH, $25 million for Mobility Services set-aside, $686 million for Mainstream Voucher renewals and fees, and $385 million for tenant protection actions. U. S. Housing Act of 1937;, Public Law -
Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Public Law 116-260, Public Law -
CARES Act, 2020, Public Law 116-136, Public Law -
American Rescue Plan (ARP), 2021, Public Law 117-2, Public Law -
Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, Public Law 116-94
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, Public Law 117-103
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Public Law 117-328 Applicants are limited to public housing agencies (PHAs). A PHA is defined as any State, county, municipality or other governmental entity or public body (or agency or instrumentality thereof) which is authorized to engage in or assist in the development or operation of housing for very low income families, a Consortia or Regional PHAs; any other nonprofit entity that was administering a Section 8 tenant-based program on October 21, 1998; or, for an area outside the jurisdiction of a PHA administering a voucher program, a private nonprofit entity or a governmental entity or public body that would otherwise lack jurisdiction to administer the program in such area. Very low-income families (whose income does not exceed 50 percent of the median income for the area as determined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller and larger families) and, on an exception basis, lower income families (whose income does not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area, adjusted for smaller and larger families). At least 75 percent of families admitted to the voucher program during the PHA fiscal year must be extremely low-income families (whose income does not exceed 30 percent of the median income for the area). In the Housing Choice Voucher Program, HUD execute Annual Contributions Contracts (ACCs) with PHAs under which the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides funds to the PHAs to administer the programs locally. The PHAs execute HAP contracts with private owners who lease their units to assisted families (24 CFR section 982.151). The PHA verifies a family's eligibility (including income eligibility) and then issues the family a voucher. The family has a minimum of 60 days to locate a rental unit where the landlord agrees to participate in the program (the PHA establishes the maximum number of days). The PHA determines whether the unit meets housing quality standards (HQS). If the PHA approves a family's unit and determines that the rent is reasonable, the PHA contracts with the owner to make HAPs on behalf of the family (24 CFR section 982.1(a)(2)). This program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles. This program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles. This program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Submission of Application for Housing Assistance Payments Program (Form HUD-52515). The Management and Operations Division, with assistance from the Program Support Division, generally makes the final decision based on the results of the rating and ranking process for new special purpose vouchers. Congress provides renewal funding for housing assistance payments (HAP) and administrative fees through annual appropriations; new vouchers are processes through competitive procedures such Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), and noncompetitively such as tenant protection vouchers (TPVs). From 60 to 90 days. Not applicable. Expiring increments of Section 8 housing choice voucher assistance are automatically renewed by HUD annually (subject to appropriations). See NOFAs and regular Public and Indian Housing Notices for new vouchers awarded competitively and noncompetitively. Provides housing assistance payments to participating owners on behalf of eligible tenants to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing for very low-income families at rents they can afford. The PHA calculates the maximum amount of housing assistance allowable. The maximum housing assistance is generally the lesser of the payment standard minus 30% of the family's monthly adjusted income or the gross rent for the unit minus 30% of monthly adjusted income. Not applicable. Periodic fiscal, occupancy, general management and maintenance audits. Those necessary to indicate compliance with Annual Contributions Contract/Housing Choice Voucher Contract. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. The program is managed on a calendar year basis, and new incremental vouchers and renewal funding is provided/obligated for 12 months. Funds are disbursed monthly and commensurate with immediate need. HUD Field Office listed in the Catalog Address Appendix IV that has jurisdiction over the area in which the dwellings are located. Steven R Durham, Director
Office of Housing and Vouchers Program
451 7th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20410 USA
Steven.R.Durham@hud.gov
Phone: 202.402.5227 http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/index.cfm. 86-0302-0-1-604 (Direct Payments for Specified Use) FY 22$27,317,632,453.00; FY 23 est $31,989,000,000.00; FY 24 est $33,625,000,000.00; FY 21$25,701,437,092.00; FY 20$20,553,974,774.00; FY 19$20,362,430,000.00; FY 18$15,196,449,285.00; FY 17$16,740,888,987.00; FY 16$16,548,277,187.00; - Lowest: $2,205, Highest: $1,387,532,214, Average: $11,246,494, Total: $24,011,265,578 TBRA Actual Disbursements: Lowest: $3,538 Highest: $1,277,800,333 Average: $10,938,252 Total: $23,464,106,987 24 CFR 982; Section 8 Rental Certificate, Rental Voucher and Moderate Rehabilitation Programs Forms, Legal Contracts, and Publications Handbook, 7420.8; Housing Choice Voucher Program Guidebook, 7420.10G. Fiscal Year 2019 • Contract Renewal Vouchers • HUD Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing • Family Unification Program • Non-Elderly Disabled • Mobility Demonstration • Project-Based Vouchers • Tenant Protection Vouchers