Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (14.871)

Program

14.871 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office: Office Of Public And Indian Housing

Authorization

Housing Act of 1937; Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, Public Law 111-8.

Program Number

14.871

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To aid very low income families in obtaining decent, safe, and sanitary rental housing. For Fair Share Vouchers and Welfare-to -Work Vouchers, Public Housing Agencies (PHA) must meet certain selection criteria. For Welfare-to-Work rental vouchers, families must also meet special welfare-to-work criteria. HUD regulations merged the former Section 8 Rental Voucher program (14.855) with the former Section 8 Certificate program (14.857). Section 502 of the Public Housing Reform Act states that a purpose of the legislation is "consolidating the voucher and certificate programs for rental assistance under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (the "USHA") into a single market-driven program that will assist in making tenant-based rental assistance more successful at helping low-income families obtain affordable housing and will increase housing choice for low-income families".

Types of Assistance

DIRECT PAYMENTS FOR A SPECIFIED USE

Uses and Use Restrictions

Provides housing assistance payments to participating owners on behalf of eligible tenants to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing for very low income families at rents they can afford. Housing assistance payments are generally the difference between the local payment standard and 30 percent of the family's adjusted income.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants are limited to public housing agencies. A public housing agency (PHA) is defined as any State, county, municipality or other governmental entity or public body (or agency or instrumentality thereof) which is authorized to engage in or assist in the development or operation of housing for very low income families; and, a consortium of PHAs; any other nonprofit entity that was administering a Section 8 tenant-based program on October 21, 1998; or, for an area outside the jurisdiction of a PHA administering a voucher program, a private nonprofit entity or a governmental entity or public body that would otherwise lack jurisdiction to administer the program in such area.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Very low income families (whose income does not exceed 50 percent of the median income for the area as determined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller and larger families) and, on an exception basis, lower income families (whose income does not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area, adjusted for smaller and larger families). At least 75 percent of families admitted to the voucher program during the PHA fiscal year must be extremely low income families (whose income does not exceed 30 percent of the median income for the area).

Credentials/Documentation

In the Housing Choice Voucher Program, the PHA must support its application by furnishing data that the program proposed is responsive to the condition of the housing stock in the community and the housing assistance needs of very low income families (including the elderly, handicapped and disabled, large families and those displaced) residing in the community. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Submission of Application for Housing Assistance Payments Program (Form HUD-52515).

Award Procedure

The HUD Grants Management Center generally makes the final decision based on the results of the rating and ranking process. Welfare-to-Work vouchers were awarded through a national competition in fiscal year 1999.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 60 to 90 days.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Expiring increments of Section 8 housing choice voucher assistance are automatically renewed by HUD (subject to appropritions).

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

This program has no matching requirements.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

New funding is provided for 12 months. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Funds are disbursed monthly.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Voucher for Payment of Annual Contributions and Operating Statement, HUD Form 52681-B; and Family Report, HUD Form 50058. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. Voucher for Payment of Annual Contributions and Operating Statement, HUD Form 52681-B (Supplemental). Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Periodic fiscal, occupancy, general management and maintenance audits.

Records

Those necessary to indicate compliance with Annual Contributions Contract/Housing Choice Voucher Contract.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: 2.07 million families were served by this program. Fiscal Year 2009: The program projects to serve 2.1 miliion families. Estimates are based on the Department's end of year leasing projections as of December 31, 2008. Fiscal Year 2010: The program projects to serve 2.16 million families. Estimates are based on the Department's end of year leasing projections as of December 31, 2008.

Financial Information

Account Identification

86-0302-0-1-604.

Obligations

(Direct Payments for Specified Use) FY 08 $11,492,649,706; FY 09 est $12,330,943,887; FY 10 est $13,278,380,604

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

$8,082 to $774,330,103; Average $6,135,346.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

24 CFR 982; Section 8 Rental Certificate, Rental Voucher and Moderate Rehabilitation Programs Forms, Legal Contracts, and Publications Handbook, 7420.8; Housing Choice Voucher Program Guidebook, 7420.10G.

Related Programs

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. HUD Field Office listed in the Catalog Address Appendix IV that has jurisdiction over the area in which the dwellings are located.

Headquarters Office

Laure Rawson 451 7th Street, S.W., Room 4210, Washington, District of Columbia 20410 Email: Laure.Rawson@hud.gov Phone: 202-708-0477

Web Site Address

http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/index.cfm.

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

See NOFA.