WHAT ARE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS
SHRA also operates the Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV/formerly Section 8) which provides rental assistance to low-income families, including the elderly and the disabled to afford safe, decent housing in the private market. The family chooses their housing where the landlord agrees to accept the voucher. The family pays 30 percent of their income toward rent and the Housing Authority pays the remainder to the landlord. The prospective rental unit must pass inspection before any payment is approved. Additionally, both the landlord and the participating family must comply with program rules in order to continue.
The Housing Authority uses wait lists to manage the application process. Notification of open wait lists is given in a variety of ways, including the media, websites, social media, and social service resource providers. Since the demand for housing assistance often exceeds the supply of available housing, long waiting periods for affordable housing are common. The Housing Authority may close wait lists when there are more families on the list than can be assisted within a certain period of time. Applicants may wait two years or more to be contacted for housing. Applicants must notify the Housing Authority of any changes to the family information within 30 days of the change, such as address, email address, family composition, etc., to ensure timely receipt of notification when they are selected from the wait list.