What Happens If You Get Married While On Section 8

This article is for you if you want to know What Happens If You Get Married While on Section 8. The direct answer to your question is yes, you can get married, as Section 8 allows couples to marry while on the program. The program focuses on assisting low-income families but comes with rules and regulations to abide by, including the marital laws. Let’s explore these rules for recipients who have gotten married or are considering getting married while on the housing assistance voucher program.

What Happens If You Get Married While on Section 8?

Marrying while on Section 8 has consequences as the eligibility criteria are based on the household composition. Let’s dig deeper and explore What Happens If You Get Married :

Recalculating Household Income

It considers the household income as a means of criteria to decide your eligibility, being married means the income of both spouses will be regarded as the household income, and this one condition can disqualify you from the program if the combined household income surpasses the limited set by the program.

Report Changes Promptly

It is essential to report any change in income or household composition to PHA ASAP, as your inability to do that could jeopardize your voucher grants in the form of suspension, cancellation, or even permanent termination.

Reevaluation of Eligibility

Your local PHA adjusts your benefits, i.e., rent portion, by reevaluating your adjusted household income via income verification.

Potential Waiting List

You could be placed on a waiting list if the household’s combined income (you and your spouse) surpasses the set limit, leading to disqualification. The combined income must fall within the program eligibility criteria for availing Housing Assistance, so you will be out of the voucher program as long as it does not meet the requirements.

Family Size Considerations

Specific considerations are considered while evaluating your eligibility criteria under the program, and one of them is choosing an apartment that suits your family size (spouse and children).

Inform PHA

Contact the Public Housing Agency Office to add your spouse to a Housing Assistance Voucher. You will be asked to provide all the required details, such as name, date of birth, income, and social security number. Then, the PHA will review and verify the provided information to calculate the total household income, including your spouse’s. The landlord must approve your spouse by signing the current lease.

You can still be in the process of applying; then, you can reach out to the office to inform them of your marital status, as your failure to do so will be counted as fraud. The voucher holder can only lose the voucher if they fail to inform the PHA of the changed marital status within due time. You might be permanently prohibited from accessing rental assistance and even face legal consequences.

You Must Report Your Marriage To Your Housing Authority

Marriage impacts the eligibility criteria significantly. That’s why it is essential to report it to your local housing authority within ten days of your wedding so an income assessment can be conducted to verify your qualification for the voucher. The income limit slightly increases due to the increase in the household size; e.g., if you are two people with one child, you will be reduced to a 4-person family with an income limit of $ 59,550. Similarly, your income limit will change from $47,650 for a 2-person household to $59,550 for a 4-person home in Los Angeles. 

Remember, your voucher will only be recovered if your updated household income exceeds the area’s limit. If your income stays below the limit despite the increase, you may be asked to pay more rent as part of your portion.

You Must Comply With The Terms Of Your Lease

First, you must qualify as a tenant, and then your potential landlord must meet all the program’s conditions. Your partner must pass all the background checks like criminal background, credit history check, etc., then they will not be able to live with you in the house. The landlord can even ask to run background checks for all adults. 

You will only lose assistance if you follow the lease terms. Under the Fair Housing Act, there is no protection for criminal backgrounds. However, landlords are prohibited under HUD rules from going for blanket discrimination. Landlords can pass their judgments based on perceived or potential threats, as they must evaluate the applicants on a case-to-case basis, e.g., considering factors like severity, age, and nature of the offense.

Getting Married to a Felon: What are Section 8 Rules?

Your spouse is unlikely to qualify for the voucher if they are the felon, owing to the nature of the committed crime. Moreover, the section prohibited lifetime cheat ) and prohibited drinks producers in federal housing (especially meth). Other felons can be considered considering the crime being committed at least half a decade ago. So do not leave your felon spouse without notifying PHA, as your failure to comply with rules will deprive you of rental assistance.

What Happens if You Don’t Report Your Marriage?

The local PHA and the landlord must approve your spouse to live with you. You will likely be banned from any future Section 8 assistance in case of failure to report your marriage within the time limit, as hiding your spouse could be considered fraud, and you might have to put up with a felony charge in case of non-compliance.

Summing It Up

Even though it is technically possible to get married while on the program,  it might alter your eligibility criteria in case of increased household income above the limit set by HUD; in addition, it is essential to report your marriage to PHA and the respective landlord, as their approval is required for continued the program assistance. If your landlord refuses to pass your spouse based on criminal records, then you will be ineligible to let your spouse live with you in a voucher property. Your partner will be obliged to abide by all the terms and conditions of the lease agreement.

Abide by the rules set by the federal government to avoid severe repercussions, i.e., permanent disqualification from the program, felony charges, etc. Furthermore, if your spouse has been listed on sex offender register or has been a meth producer in federal housing, you will not be allowed to let him live in your house.

FAQs 

Can you get married or live together while on Section 8?

You can get married, but you will have to seek local PHA and landlord permission to live with your spouse in a section 8 house if the household income does not exceed the HUD set and you still qualify for the assistance. Otherwise, you will get disqualified for the voucher (as the household income will increase). Hence, you must report any change in family composition to the respective authorities immediately.

Is it compulsory to notify the local Housing Authority If I Get Married While On section 8?

Yes, you must notify your housing authority within ten days of getting married, as failure to report the change in family composition could lead to severe repercussions, i.e., felony, fraud, or criminal charges. 

Am I Allowed to Add My Spouse To My Voucher Lease?

You can add your spouse’s name to the lease, considering the landlord is okay with it. You should wait for your landlord to run some background checks, and if he agrees, you can add your partner’s name to the lease.

What If Both Spouses Are Receiving program Assistance?

You may have to pick one voucher to keep receiving the benefits. However, some areas allow combining vouchers or transfers, but that depends on the rules of your site.

Am I eligible For a Section 8 voucher If I’m Marrying Someone who is Already Receiving a Housing Assistance voucher?

Yes, you can! However, you must inform the respective housing authority within ten days of getting married so they can reassess your eligibility criteria according to your new household composition. Your voucher could get terminated if you fail to report your updated marital status to PHA.