Archive for the ‘Section 8’ Category
Budgeting for Section 8 Housing
During these tough economic times more and more people within the United States are taking advantage of Section 8 housing. This Federal Entitlement is for any renter who is tired of taking out payday loans after loans to pay their rent every single month or working more than one job. Thanks to Section 8, any renter or family that makes $25,800 per year or less qualifies for Section 8 Housing.
A Long Waiting List
Due to the economic crisis more and more people across the country are applying for the Section 8 program and there are now long waiting lists across the country. For example: in Chicago over 2,500 families are on the Section 8 waiting list and there is often a lot of competition when new vouchers become available.
The sad thing about Section 8 is that just because millions of people across the country may qualify for it that doesn’t mean that the average family will always receive their voucher.
How to Get Accepted Faster
Even though the waiting list is long in many states the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sometimes does pass out vouchers to people on the list faster based on the following factors:
- Age – People who are over the age of 62 sometimes receive quicker approval than younger people who are on the waiting list.
- Veteran – Any person who is a veteran or is currently serving their country in the military will get approved faster than non-military personal.
- Over worked – HUD knows that it’s rough out there and sometimes people have to work more than one job to pay their rent. For those people who are working over 42 hours per week they will receive faster approval than other people on the list who work less.
- Homeless – If someone who is on the waiting list is homeless, this is another factor that can lead to receiving a voucher and getting into a home.
You Won’t Have To Wait Forever
For those people who are on the Section 8 waiting list it may seem like they have to wait forever but the reality is that wait on the waiting list isn’t as long as they think it will be. HUD’s goal is to always exhaust the waiting list as quickly as possible.
Section 8 is only for people who have extremely low incomes such as those who have had to file for chapter 7 bankruptcy. If you’ve been on the waiting list for a long time and haven’t been approved yet you should contact your Section 8 worker to make sure that your paperwork was filed correctly because sometimes errors on paperwork can slow down the approval process.
What is Section 8? Know the Law
Section 8 was written to assist low income homeowners and renters as a federal housing program. The assisted recipient’s monthly rent is limited in order to be affordable. If you are not low income (below 50% of the area median income) you will not qualify.
If you’re the Landlord
If you are renting one of your units to someone who is section 8 you still need to do a thorough check of them as you would with a possible tenant who is not receiving federal assistance. The Housing Authority will assist you in your endeavor by sharing any information that they have on the applicant with you the landlord. Do not rely on the Housing Authority however to furnish you with all the information needed to determine whether or not the possible future tenant is a good fit. For example, if information that the applicant gives you conflicts with the information that the Housing Authority gave you on this applicant, you have a big problem. Someone’s handing out false information. Things also get a little touchy when it comes down to discrimination if you’re renting to someone who is section 8.
If you are the Applicant
Expect to answer any number of questions posed to you. Here are just a few examples: how often do you get paid and when; how do you intend to raise money for the rent; social security number and name; have you had any complaints filed against you or been evicted; how many people will be renting here; have you been involved in gang activity or any other illegal activities in any residence within which you have lived; where have you lived before and for how long at each residence; where are you currently living and how long have you been there?
If you are a landlord don’t allow yourself to be taken advantage of by the housing authorities. Know the laws.
If your think that you have been wrong get a Columbia Missouri personal injury attorney, today.
What is Section 8 and How Does it Work?
Section 8 is the name we commonly use to refer to a program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This program, also called the Housing Choice Voucher Program is designed to provide assistance to low-income individuals and families (including disabled and elderly individuals) in securing affordable and safe housing. It works to keep monthly rental payments down by providing eligible applicants with subsidies. So if you qualified for a section 8 voucher, you would receive assistance making your monthly rental payment as long as you continued to meet the terms of the program.
Finding a Home With Section 8
In most cases, once you have obtained a section 8 voucher, you are required to find an applicable rental property. This property can, of course, be the one where you are already living. It must meet the program’s basic requirements of health and safety upon inspection, however. It could also be a apartment, town home, or even a single family home. Any type of property that meets program requirements is acceptable. Once you find the section 8 accepting property of your choice and settle on a lease with your landlord, you will notify the Public Housing Agency (PHA) that is administering the voucher. They will enter into a similar agreement with your landlord in which they pay a portion of rent on your behalf.
The Cost of Renting With Section 8
The amount of your voucher depends on your income level. To be eligible at all, your income must be below fifty percent of the median area income. Most families who receive vouchers are actually below thirty percent. Your chosen property’s rent is another factor. You will be expected to pay approximately thirty percent of your monthly income towards your rent. The rest should be covered by your voucher—as long at the property is renting at a fair market price. Other wise, you may be expected to pay the difference between the price and the fair market price as well as your normal thirty percent.
What Is Meant By Affordable Housing
Affordable housing is one of those terms that mean different things to different people. What I can afford would look like the shack compared to what Donald Trump can afford. With jobs on the decline and real estate right behind, affordable housing is something many of us are trying to figure out; and many are failing.
What You Pay is What You Get
Not long ago I did an article on apartments in Dallas, Texas; in it I explored options for apartment living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I mention this because the subtitle for this section rings true for Dallas or anywhere else you choose to live. Fortunately there are organizations in place to help today’s citizens find affordable housing. Whether it’s because your breadwinner has become a victim of today’s economy, and is now a jobless; or if you are fortunate enough to still have a job but have a hard time making ends meet, help is out there.
Who Can Help in the Hunt For a Home?
Four programs which address the nation’s affordable housing crisis are as follows:
Homeownership Zone-new single family homes built on reclaimed vacant lots or dilapidated properties assist in promoting economic recovery.
- (SHOP) Self Help Home Ownership- supplies money for the purchase of home sites through nonprofit organizations. Low income families can benefit through volunteer based home ownership agendas.
- Home Investment Partnerships– helps increase the supply of affordable housing for low income families’ through government grants.
- The Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)- offers housing aid to qualified low income homeowners and renters.
- HUD (housing and urban development) will most likely have an office near you. They will assist in every way possible to see to it that you are informed and aware of your right to affordable housing.