How to Apply for Section 8
Applications
At this time,
no applications are being accepted for Section 8 assistance.
Click here
for information on applying for public housing assistance.
MHA will
advertise through the local media and this website when application intake
periods are scheduled. This varies based on funding/voucher availability.
Process
Applications
will be made available at various convenient locations. Applicants may
complete one application per household, and it must be mailed in,
postmarked by a specific date. This is a preliminary application, which
will be assigned a number. Those not selected are held for up to one year
and randomly drawn as space allows on waiting list. After one year, these
applications expire and those applicants will need to reapply during the
next scheduled intake period.
Application
Selection
After the
deadline to receive postmarked applications, a specified number of
applications will be randomly selected by an off-site computer program.
Those selected will be reviewed for eligibility. Those determined eligible
will be placed on a waiting list, unless assistance can be obtained
immediately.
Issuing a
Voucher
Once your name
is reached on the waiting list, MHA will contact you and issue to you a
rental voucher with instructions on finding a rental property for your
family.
Finding a Place
to Live
Voucher holders
may search the private rental market for a housing unit that is decent,
safe and sanitary according to federal Housing Quality Standards (HQS
established by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and MHA). A
copy of the HUD booklet, "A Good Place to Live!" is a good resource and
can be requested at MHA. When a unit is found and the owner agrees to
lease it under the Housing Choice Voucher Program, MHA will inspect the
property. After the unit passes HQS inspections and rent has been
approved, the landlord and tenant enter a lease for an initial term of one
year. The landlord and MHA enter into an agreement called a Housing
Assistance Payments Contract, through which the rent is assisted on the
tenant's behalf. The tenant is responsible for the monthly payment of the
difference between the total rent and the Housing Assistance Payment.
