HFAs and their partners administer the Housing Choice Voucher (voucher) program, which is primarily used for tenant-based rental assistance. Eligible families are generally required to contribute 30 percent of their income for rent and utilities on a home or apartment of their choosing. Program administrators can use a portion of these vouchers to help renters transition to homeownership. Up to 20 percent of these vouchers may be used for eligible families occupying pre-selected apartments (project-basing).
Project-based vouchers are limited to no more than 25 percent of the apartments in an individual multifamily housing development. HFAs and their partners administer the program by soliciting applications, determining recipient eligibility, establishing allowable rent levels and determining whether the properties for rent comply with the housing quality standards established under the Choice Voucher Program.
NCSHA is working with other housing advocates to:
- strengthen the Housing Choice Voucher program to ensure its effectiveness in meeting affordable housing needs in the states;
- obtain Section 8 funding adequate to renew all authorized vouchers and support new ones; and
- authorize and provide new state-administered funding that states may use to provide project-based operating subsidies to support affordable rental housing and tenant-based rental assistance to support state-determined priorities unmet under the Housing Choice Voucher program.
Advocating for funding adequate to renew all authorized vouchers and provide for new ones is one of NCSHA’s Legislative Priorities.
Useful Links: HUD’s Housing Choice Vouchers Webpage, HUD Voucher Program Fact Sheet
Printer-friendly versionNCSHA Blog Posts
- July 21, 2010
On July 21, the Senate Appropriations Transportation-HUD Subcommittee marked up and passed its FY 2011 HUD appropriations bill. According to the Subcommittee’s summary, the Subcommittee-passed bill provides $1.825 billion for the HOME program—the same amount enacted in FY 2010 and $175 million more than the President’s request. NCSHA opposed the Administration’s proposed HOME funding cut. - July 21, 2010
On July 20, the House Appropriations Committee marked up and passed its FY 2011 T-HUD appropriations bill. There were few changes from the Subcommittee-passed bill, which we reported on in a July 6 blog post. According to the Committee summary, the Committee-passed bill provides $1.825 billion for the HOME program—the same amount enacted in FY 2010, $175 million more than the President’s request, and the same amount as provided in the Subcommittee-passed bill.
Housing Headlines
News
- April 21, 2010
Vermonters who rent live in the fifteenth least affordable state in the nation, according to a new report jointly released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a Washington, DC-based housing advocacy group, and the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition.
Section 8 Housing Vouchers - Resources
- June 30, 2010
NCSHA sent letters to the House HUD Appropriations subcommittee members requesting at least $2 billion in HOME formula grant funding; an increase in Section 8 funding to renew all expiring contracts, fully fund all authorized vouchers, provide new vouchers, and ensure that successful HFA voucher and project-based contract administrators continue in and are adequately compensated for these roles; and resources for HFAs to fulfill new Housing Credit data collection requirements. - April 8, 2010
