It is natural that you find yourself in a financially unfortunate situation. Of course, no one wants to stay in their current financial situation. If you find yourself struggling financially and you need assistance to get back on your feet, then you should think about applying to the Section 8 Housing Assistance Program. You probably do not know about the Section 8 Assistance Program. Well, the Section 8 Program is a welfare program that the federal government funds to help combat the housing issue across the United States.

The Section 8 Housing Assistance Program is financial assistance that you can receive in the form of housing vouchers. You are allowed to choose a housing unit and use the housing voucher, which will cover a portion of the rent. This means that you will have a home to live in while you are trying to get back on your feet. With this article, you will be able to find out the eligibility requirements to qualify for the Section 8 Housing Assistance Program.

What is Section 8 Housing Assistance?

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is responsible for administering and managing a program called the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which is also referred to as, “Section 8 project based rental assistance,” “Section 8 assisted living,” or just “Section 8.” This program issues housing choice vouchers to eligible families and individuals. You will find that the Section 8 housing assistance program requires four primary conditions to determine whether you are eligible or not to receive a housing voucher. These conditions include income level, family status, eviction history, and citizenship. You should pay close attention to whether or not you qualify for Section 8 Assistance. If you do not meet all of the four eligibility requirements mentioned below, then you will not qualify for a Section 8 housing voucher. Additionally, you should take advantage of the fact that you can apply for Section 8 assistance online now!

This housing assistance program is a welfare program that provides housing vouchers. The Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) developed this Program. But, your local Public Housing Authority (PHA) is responsible for administering and managing the Program. If you receive housing vouchers, then you can choose a housing unit that you want. As a recipient, you need to make sure that the housing unit of your choosing is rented under the Section 8 Assistance Program.

How to Get Section 8 Housing Assistance?

With the Section 8 Assistance Program, there are four main eligibility requirements that define whether or not you qualify for financial assistance. The four main conditions are: family status and size, income level, citizenship status, and eviction history. Each component will determine whether you qualify for Section 8 Assistance. For the Program to approve you, you will need to meet all of the eligibility requirements. Of course, there are exceptions to each requirement. But, you should ensure that your current situation meets as many of the eligibility requirements as possible. Additionally, you should remember that once you apply, you will automatically be wait-listed. This is because of the fact that there are many families who need financial assistance, just like you. But, there are limited funds for this Program, which leads to wait-listing candidates.

The Family Status Requirement

There are eligibility requirements that your family status needs to meet. If you want to qualify for Section 8, then you will need to fit into the category of family status. The Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) created their own definition of a family. However, the public housing authorities in your area have the option of remaining flexible on that definition. Make sure that you reach out to your local PHA so that you can know whether your family qualifies for the program. When you decide to apply for Section 8 assistance, you need to ensure that your current situation is in harmony with the eligibility conditions.

But, the conditions below define whether or not your family qualifies for the Section 8 program. These conditions are:

• Having at least one person in your household who is over the age of 62

• Are with or without children.

• Has one or more people in the household with a disability.

• Has been displaced from their home. This displacement could have taken place for different reasons, from government action to damage and/or disaster caused by a federally recognized disaster, and more.

• A tenant who does not leave a unit after the other members of their family have left the housing unit. In this case, the family of the tenant must already be receiving Section 8 assistance.

• Or, if a single person does not meet any of the other conditions mentioned above.

The Income Level Requirement

Another factor that you need to take into consideration is the income level requirement. The Section 8 Assistance program aims to help low-income families and individuals that are financially struggling. This means that your family’s annual income must be below a certain amount in order to qualify for Section 8. Additionally, your family’s annual income level determines how much you would receive from the Program, if you qualify. Typically, your overall income level falls under one of three categories. These income levels are categorized as “low income,” “very low income,” and “extremely low income.”

If you want to know how the income levels work and which category you fall into, then you can try using the HUD’s website tool. This tool will allow you to determine your income level and how much you could receive from the Section 8 Program. Once you know how much you will receive, you can develop a financial plan, as opposed to waiting until you receive your benefits.

Different Levels of Low Income

Annually, the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) determines income limits. All of the income limits in the Program are categorized into three components. These three categories are: extremely low income, very low income, and low income. In order to determine income limits, the Program takes into consideration the area that you live in. The actual income level is defined as a percentage of the area’s median income level.

• Low Income: 80% of the area’s median income level.

• Very Low Income: 50% of the area’s median income level.

• Extremely Low Income: 30% of the area’s median income level.

Size of Family

These income limits also overlap with a family’s size. Income limits are developed for families that have one to eight household members. Families of one that fall into the extremely low-income category could earn $15,000 a year. But, for a family of eight household members, $30,000 a year can be considered an extremely low-income level. The Housing and Urban Development Department determines the family size eligibility condition. But, your local PHA also contributes to these requirements. The most common component that the Program considers is if you have children or not, or if any member of your household has a disability at the moment. Additionally, you need to inform the Program if you experienced forced displacement due to an evacuation, government action, or for any other reason.

Prioritization of Extremely Low Income

With the Section 8 Program, the priority falls on low-income individuals and families. People in greater need or with extremely low incomes have first priority when it comes to housing vouchers. After the extremely low-income level, the next priority goes to the very-low income level and then the low-income level. The reason why extremely low income families receive top priority is that they are the ones who are most financially struggling. One of the main aims of the Section 8 Program is to assist qualifying families and individuals that need the most financial relief.

How Does The Program Calculate a Family’s Income? 

To properly define a family’s annual income, the Section 8 Program takes many factors into consideration. These factors calculate how much financial relief a family might need. Additionally, the current financial situation of the family paints a picture for the Program. You will need to inform the Program about all of your income sources, as well as your family’s sources. This includes:

• Pension

• Retirement Fund

• Child Support

• Unemployment

• Alimony

• Tips

• Salary

• Commission

• Overtime Pay

• Retirement Fund

• Interest or Dividends from Assets

• Welfare

• Social Security

• Disability

• Welfare

• Lottery Winnings

Eviction History Requirement

Another important eligibility requirement to qualify for the Section 8 Program is eviction history. A person’s eviction history will let the Program know what kind of tenant the person will be, if they receive financial assistance. You should keep in mind that it is possible that you were not careful or reliable with your previous housing unit. Keeping this in mind, you might not receive Section 8 vouchers and may not qualify for the program, if you:

• Have been evicted from a property within the last three years due to drug-related criminal activity.

• Have been convicted of producing methamphetamines in assisted project housing.

Citizenship Status Requirement

The final condition that defines your eligibility for the Program is your citizenship status. You can still qualify for the Program, even if you are not an American citizen. American citizens or those who have a qualifying immigrant status also have access to these housing assistance vouchers. You can define your immigrant status eligibility in the HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Guidebook.

If you are a citizen of the United States, then your local PHA will:

• Request that you sign a declaration that states that you and all members of your HUD’s definition of “family” are American citizens.

• Some Public Housing Authorities will also individually look through each family member’s citizen status with documents, like a social security card, a U.S. passport, and more.

If you are an eligible immigrant, then your local Public Housing Authority (PHA) will: 

• Request that you sign a declaration stating that you have an eligible immigrant status.

• Provide INS Documents to verify information with the INS and prove immigration status.

• Ask you to sign a consent form to authorize usage of the information obtained from you.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. If you have a family member that has eligible or non-eligible immigration status, then you can still get housing vouchers. But, the percentage of family members that qualify for housing assistance factors into the calculation of the amount you receive. This means that family members that have non-eligible immigration statuses will not hinder you from receiving Section 8 assistance. However, the Program will disregard the non-eligible family members when calculating the financial relief you will receive.

Conclusion

In order to qualify for the Section 8 Program, you will need to know what the eligibility requirements are. There are four eligibility requirements that you need to meet, which are: family size, income level, citizenship status, and eviction history. Each component defines what kind of person you are and what your current situation is. The Section 8 Program prioritizes the extremely low-income level individuals and families that need the most assistance.

This Program will provide you with housing vouchers that you need to rent out a housing unit of your choice. Whichever house you choose, you need to make sure that it is available under the Section 8 Program. Remember that you need to meet all four eligibility requirements to qualify and receive benefits. If you are qualified, then you will not need to worry about paying rent anymore. The Section 8 Program will provide financial relief that will partially cover your living expenses.