A Housing Choice Voucher, formerly called Section 8, can be used to rent any property where the landlord agrees to participate in the program and the property passes a Housing Quality Standards inspection. There's no specific list of houses you qualify for. You find a rental, the landlord agrees to accept the voucher, and the local housing authority inspects the unit to make sure it meets their standards.
The voucher covers a portion of your rent based on your income, household size, and the fair market rent for your area. You pay the difference between what the voucher covers and the actual rent, as long as the rent falls within the housing authority's payment standard for the area.
Contact your local Public Housing Authority to get the specifics on your voucher amount, the payment standards in your area, and any restrictions on where you can use it. Some vouchers are portable, meaning you can use them in a different city or state than where they were issued. Your PHA can walk you through that process if you're relocating.
A Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), commonly called Section 8, can be used to rent a wide range of housing types as long as the unit meets the programs requirements and the landlord agrees to participate.
In Tennessee and throughout Florida, eligible housing includes single-family homes, townhomes, duplexes, condos, and apartments, as long as the unit passes an HCV Housing Quality Standards inspection and the rent is within the voucher payment standard for the bedroom size and zip code. Not all landlords in Florida or Tennessee are required to accept HCV vouchers, though some local ordinances in certain jurisdictions do prohibit discrimination based on source of income.
The process works as follows: once you have your voucher, you receive a voucher briefing from your Public Housing Authority (PHA) that explains your payment standard and eligible areas. You then search for units in the private rental market, present your voucher to interested landlords, and once a landlord agrees, the PHA conducts the HQS inspection before the lease can be executed. Your portion of the rent is the difference between the actual rent and your voucher amount. Contacting your local PHA for the specific payment standards in your target zip code is the first step to knowing which price ranges are realistic for your voucher amount.
Kevin Neely & Kaitlynd Robbins | K2 Sells, Keller Williams Elite Partners
You qualify for homes within your local program’s payment limits, and the home must pass inspection and meet voucher requirements. Your housing authority can provide the exact price/rent limits for your area.