Section 8 (housing)

For other uses, see Section 8 (disambiguation).
This article is about the United States. For Section 8 in the United Kingdom, see Section 8 notice.

Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. § 1437f), commonly known as Section 8, provides rental housing assistance to low-income households in the United States by paying private landlords on behalf of these tenants. Approximately 68% of this assistance benefits seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities.[1] The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) oversees Section 8 programs, which are administered locally by public housing agencies (PHAs).[2]

In 2022, about 2.3 million out of the 5.2 million households receiving rental assistance used Section 8 vouchers. While landlord participation is voluntary, some states and municipalities have laws preventing income-based discrimination.[3] Voucher amounts vary depending on city or county, size of unit, and other factors.[4] Voucher recipients typically have 2 to 4 months to secure housing that meets HUD standards; otherwise, they lose their vouchers and must reapply. Wait lists for vouchers can be very long, ranging from 10 to 20 years, with many local programs closed to new applicants.[5]

Voucher amounts are based on Fair Market Rents (FMRs) set by HUD. The recently introduced Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) program refines these calculations to the zip code level in major metropolitan areas.

  1. ^ "Federal Rental Assistance Fact Sheets". Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 2019-05-08. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  2. ^ Programs of HUD Archived 2015-11-20 at the Wayback Machine, HUD.
  3. ^ Thrush, Glenn (2018-10-12). "With Market Hot, Landlords Slam the Door on Section 8 Tenants". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  4. ^ Eberlin, Erin. "How Much Section 8 Will Pay a Landlord". The Balance Small Business. Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
  5. ^ Teater, Barbra Ann (December 2011). "A Qualitative Evaluation of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program: The Recipients' Perspectives". Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice. 10 (4): 503–519. doi:10.1177/1473325010371242. ISSN 1473-3250. S2CID 144673116.