Formally known as Section 8, the housing choice voucher program is set in place to help people with very little income find suitable housing. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) does not find Section 8 housing for people who wish to participate in the program. Instead, those people must find their own housing. In many cases, seniors may work with the housing authority office in their state to be a part of the Section 8 program. When searching for homes, seniors may look for townhomes, single-family homes and apartments. The program will either pay the participants’ rent completely or a portion of the rent. Download our free housing guide for seniors to find out more about Section 8 housing.

To qualify for Section 8 housing, seniors must meet the eligibility criteria. To determine an applicant’s eligibility for low income housing, a Section 8 representative will take into account the senior’s annual income, whether they are disabled and whether they are a U.S. citizen, amongst other factors. In most cases, the senior’s annual earnings must be less than a certain percent of the median income in the area that their new house is in.

Seniors should contact the HUD office nearest them to apply for this program. If the senior has trouble completing the application for low income house rentals form alone, then a Public Housing Agency representative may assist them. The representative will collect information about the senior’s income, assets and more. All of this information will then be verified with the senior’s bank, employer and other relevant agencies. The Public Housing Agency will then determine how much the senior will need to live in low income housing in the area. It is up to the senior to find low income housing rentals where the landlord agrees to be paid through the Section 8 program. HUD pays the allocated money directly to the landlord. It is the senior’s responsibility to pay the difference between the amount given by HUD and the cost of rent. Please note that if the list of people applying to be a part of Section 8 is too long, then the senior may be put on a waiting list. They will be notified when it is his or her turn on the list. Download our comprehensive housing guide for seniors to discover more details about the Section 8 program or review the outlined material below.

Learn About Requirements for Section 8

Section 8 eligibility is determined by three independent factors. Potential applicants asking, “What are the requirements for Section 8?” need to consider each of these eligibility factors to determine whether they will qualify for services under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher Program. Section 8 housing assistance is intended to help seniors, individuals with disabilities and very-low income families. Public housing agencies (PHAs) locally administer the federally funded Section 8 program and must adhere to the national guidelines for housing assistance. The program promotes recipient self-determination and autonomy by allowing participants to select their housing from privately owned single-family homes, townhouses or apartments. Seniors and others inquiring, “What do I need to apply for Section 8?” should consider their housing status, income level and resources. Funding for Section 8 is oftentimes insufficient to provide services to all qualifying applicants. Preference and priority are almost always given to the neediest applicants in the least safe, least hygienic and most cost-burdened households.

How to Apply for Section 8

Seniors exploring how to apply for Section 8 housing will find that it is administered locally by authorized public housing agencies (PHAs) although it is federally funded. All potential applicants investigating how to sign up for Section 8 assistance must go through their local or regional PHAs to apply. Seniors with questions about their eligibility or details about the process of how to apply for housing assistance can speak to representatives from their local PHAs for answers and support. It is often helpful to have an overview of the Section 8 application process and the information and documentation associated with it before speaking with a representative. Seniors seeking to sign up for HUD housing assistance can significantly reduce possible delays and avoid common application challenges by gathering much of the necessary information and supporting evidence in advance.

What are Section 8 waiting lists?

Many seniors regularly check waiting list status for Section 8 assistance without being fully aware of how funding decisions are made, how their status is determined or why it might change over time. Comprehensive information about Section 8 waiting lists is available in every Public Housing Agency’s (PHA) administrative plan, including the agencies’ policies, procedures and preferential funding criteria in the common event that demand for housing assistance exceeds the availability of program funding. A Section 8 housing program application waiting list is established whenever a PHA has more qualifying applicants than it has funding to serve. In some locations, Section 8 is not the only low income housing waiting list a PHA maintains. PHAs that administer multiple local, state or federally funded housing assistance programs may combine their wait lists, cross-list qualifying applicants or maintain separate lists at their discretion and in accordance with the needs and characteristics of the populations they serve. Management of these lists are subject to complex factors and considerations, but nearly all PHAs allow wait-listed applicants to check their status whenever they wish.

Find Out About Section 8 Housing Lists

Section 8 housing lists play a key role in empowering eligible applicants to choose their housing with autonomy. Section 8 house listings organized and updated by PHAs reduce the amount of time, energy and stress program recipients face in identifying and selecting qualifying housing units that meet the extensive list of minimum safety and sanitation criteria required by HUD guidelines. Recipients who prefer to do their searching retain the right to utilize whatever alternative resources they want to locate housing, including websites, local rental listings and realtors. If the housing units they select are in any way deficient when assessed by the PHA or if the landlord or owner declines to make the property available for PHA inspection, then recipients must begin their searches again. Pre-qualified Section 8 apartment listings avoid that problem and the associated delays entirely.

How to Appeal Section 8 Denials

Seniors will receive a Section 8 denial letter by the local Public Housing Authority (PHA) office if they are denied housing assistance under a Section 8 program. Anticipating that applicants would have concerns over what to do if Section 8 application was denied, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a regulation requiring that written denial letters include information on applicants’ rights to appeal PHA decisions. A full explanation of PHA policies and procedures governing informal hearings is also available in the administrative plan of every PHA. The Section 8 denial appeal process is available when applicants believe that a PHA determined their eligibility incorrectly, ended their benefits inappropriately or denied them on the basis of discrimination. Public housing agencies are prohibited by federal law from discriminating against any applicant on the basis of protected characteristics including age, race, gender and religion. They are also forbidden to discriminate on the basis of family composition. Denied seniors should know what are the reason for Section 8 denial determinations if they wish to appeal the decision.

Learn About Housing Disability Rights

Disability rights in housing have continued to develop over the years to protect individuals with disabilities. Housing rights for disabled tenants are protected by law and important to differently able people to understand fully. Fair housing disability rights include making reasonable modifications to properties or policies. Housing rights for disabled people apply to both public and private housing and when renting or buying a home. Disabled seniors should know how to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) should their rights be violated.

Get Information About Homeless Assistance Programs

Homeless assistance is available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and individual state programs. Each homelessness assistance program can offer different services in addition to housing aid such as help with food and medical attention. There is additional homeless veteran assistance in most states for those who have served in the U.S military. Former service members who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless may be able to receive help from resources from Veteran Assistance (VA).

What is the Department of Housing and Urban Development – VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH)?

What is the HUD VASH program? The HUD housing program for veterans is available through combined resources of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The goal is to offer veterans housing assistance programs that provide homeless former service members and their families with rental assistance vouchers as well as managed health care and mental health treatment.

Learn About Federal Housing Programs for Seniors

“What housing programs are available for low income senior citizens?” is a common question elderly individuals may ask when seeking affordable housing options. Eligibility for federal senior housing programs will vary from one program to the next. These low income housing elderly benefits programs, administered by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), can suit the many needs of senior applicants.