Housing Choice Voucher Program

The Housing Choice Voucher program offers the opportunity for income-qualified families to receive rental assistance while renting from a private landlord.  All landlords must be willing to work with the Housing Choice Voucher Program, and all properties being assisted must meet Housing Quality Standards as required by the Department of Housing & Urban Development.  Properties must also be determined by HCHA HCV Staff to meet rent reasonableness criteria as dictated by market rental rates in the community at the time.  Program participants may pay between 30-40 percent of their income towards rent depending on the payment standard in effect and the housing costs of the home requesting approval.  In no case will an initial lease be approved that would require an applicant to pay more than 40 percent of their income towards housing costs.

The approximate waiting list time for a Housing Choice Voucher is 3 months (subject to change without notice).  Applications are based on a preference system.  Applicants who do not meet one or more preferences may be subjected to much longer or even indefinite waits.

Applicants interested in the Housing Choice Voucher Program must meet income qualification standards (50 percent of the Area Median Income), citizenship status (for at least one family member/assistance rate prorated based upon the number of citizens or legal immigrants present in the home), criminal, gang and drug-related background checks and must not be indebted to another federally assisted housing agency.  Other restrictions may apply.