Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List Opening [UPDATED]

Housing Choice Voucher, which is otherwise also known as Section 8 Housing is a Federal Government program that allows families with low income to get proper sanitized housing in the private sector.

Over 2.2 million households received the aid in 2018 alone, which indicates that there are a lot of people interested in it, thus putting a lot of people on the waiting list.

Here, we have compiled complete details Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Waiting List Opening, so you can better judge your position.

What is the Housing Choice Voucher Program?

The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program or the Section 8 Housing Program is a federal program of the US government that helps people with financial difficulties or disabilities in paying their rent.

There is a long history of this program, and annually millions of households get their benefits by using this program. In the year 2018 alone, more than 2 million people benefited from this policy.

Although it’s a federal government program, still, the federal government still has very little stake in it as you will be dealing directly with the local government in balloting, vouchers, and everything else. The federal government only provides the budget, and nothing else.

To apply for the HCV program, you need to apply on the Public Housing Agency (PHA) website. The local government is responsible for the complete assistance of the program. That means you need to apply on the local government’s website, and it will then put your name on the waiting list, and ultimately, you will get your voucher.

Another thing that you need to keep in mind here is that, even if you get the voucher, it is valid for a limited period, and afterward, the voucher gets expires.

How to Get the Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List Opening

The procedure for getting the Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List is a completely straightforward process, when you apply for Section 8 Housing, you get a special number, which you have to keep safe.

Afterward, you need to keep visiting the time for the date of the Housing Choice Voucher Opening List time.

Usually, the website is only live during the said time, and it is down for the other time.

You can visit the link provided on the PHA’s website, and then get all the information about the Section 8 waiting list whether you have been selected on it or not.

One thing that you have to keep in mind here is that you do not have to forget it, as you won’t be receiving any sort of letter from the PHA, and everything is done online through the local housing authority also known as the Public Housing Authority’s website.

Who is Eligible for the Housing Choice Voucher Program?

Although, HCV is a federal government initiative, still, the eligibility criteria widely vary from local government to government. However, below, we have provided you with a general guideline regarding the HCV’s general eligibility criteria.

• Your income should be within the set limit of the PHA, if your limit does not align with the PHA’s requirement, you won’t be selected for the program.
• Only US citizens or people having immigration status are eligible for this program.
• If you have received aid in any other federal government housing-related program in the last three years, you won’t be selected for the program.
• You must not be evicted by any other federal government housing program in the past.
• PHA conducts strong background checks on the people applying for this program, so you must not be involved in any illegal activity.

How to Apply for the Housing Choice Voucher?

The application procedure for the Housing Choice Voucher is completely straightforward. Follow these follow steps.

1. You first have to find the PHA that serves your area (you can either do this by contacting local government or the HUD.
2. you need to gather all the documents that are required for the application. This also varies from state to state, and you have to visit the PHA’s website to get the complete list of the documents.
3. you have found your PHA, you need to know whether the PHA you are applying for accepts online applications or offline applications.
4. you need to submit your application either offline or depending upon the supported application method by your PHA.
5. you need to wait for the confirmation of the application, and then the PHA will announce an opening date for the program.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Percentage of Rent is Paid by the Government in HCV Program?

There is no specific amount that has to be paid by the government, as it varies from state to state and person to person. The applicant of the HCV or Section 8 program pays 30% of the household adjusted income towards the rent, the rest of the amount is paid by the local authorities.

How Long Does the Section 8 Housing Program Last?

Well, once you are selected for the Section 8 Housing Program, there is no ending tenure for it, as long as you maintain the eligibility criteria, and there are no rule breakings.

How Long is the Section 8 Housing Program Waiting Period?

There is no specific waiting period for the HCV or the Section 8 housing program as it differs from locality to locality since you will be applying for the Housing Program directly from the PHA. Generally, you need to wait anywhere from 2 years to 20 years for the Program, and the actual time depends upon the PHA you are applying for.

Conclusion

The Housing Choice Voucher is an amazing program of the federal government that allows households to get additional support from the government in the form of rent-share.

There are long waiting lists for the Housing Choice Voucher program due to the increased demand.

Here, we have provided you with complete details of the program including the procedure, method for application, eligibility, and much more.

Also, we have provided you with the complete guide to the waiting list opening, so you can check your status easily.