Section 8 Vouchers

You asked (1) how the Section 8 Voucher Program is administered, (2) how may vouchers are used for properties in Bristol and Plymouth, (3) how often are Section 8 units supposed to be inspected, and (4) who does the inspections.

Section 8 is the federal rent subsidy program for low-income households. Public housing authorities (PHA) and the Department of Social Services, or their contractors, administer Section 8 programs in Connecticut (i. e. , determine who is eligible and maintain waiting lists).

As of August 13, 2004, there were 524 Section 8 vouchers in use by people in Bristol, according to the Bristol Housing Authority. Numbers may change weekly, however, because as leases expire voucher holders may choose to move to another town, taking the voucher with them. The Bristol Housing Authority also has 21 vouchers in use outside of Bristol, which includes Plymouth. (The Plymouth Housing Authority does not handle Section 8 vouchers. )

According to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher Program Guidebook, a PHA must, at least annually, inspect housing units to determine compliance with Housing Quality Standards (HQS). A PHA must do so before executing the terms of the assisted lease. PHA staff or contract personnel may complete the inspection.

For a Section 8 voucher, a household must apply to their local PHA. The PHA determines if the household is qualified. Eligible households receive a voucher (waiting lists exist around the state), which they must use to find available units. Once a unit is found, the PHA pays a portion of the rent (subsidy) directly to landlords if the units meet the program's property maintenance standards. Households keep the vouchers when they move to another unit. Landlords can also apply for subsidies for units they rehabilitate and subsequently rent to eligible households. But these subsidies stay with the units after the households move. In both cases, the PHA must annually certify the person’s or household’s eligibility.

Congress created the Section 8 program in 1974 to subsidize rents in privately owned housing for low-income households. Although HUD is currently considering changing the way it allocates funds to states for the program, its four basic elements have remained unchanged since inception:

1. households qualify for subsidies if their income, adjusted for family size, is at or below a specified percentage (currently 50%) of the median income of the area in which they live;

2. the federal government determines the reasonable rent level for a geographic area and physical standards for subsidized units based on regulatory criteria;

3. households contribute a portion of their income (usually 30%) for units that rent at or below that level; and

4. the subsidy pays the difference between the household's contribution and the rent.

We have attached a HUD information sheet on proposed changes to the Section 8 program is also attached.

For a housing unit to qualify for use by a Section 8 voucher holder, it must meet HQS performance requirements in 13 categories:

3. space and security,

4. thermal environment,

5. illumination and electricity,

6. structure and materials,

7. interior air quality,

8. water supply,

9. lead-based paint,

10. access,

11. site and neighborhood,

12. sanitary condition, and

13. smoke detectors.

We have attached the relevant HQS sections of the Housing Choice Voucher Program Guidebook, or click the following HUD link for more detail:


August 19, 2004		2004-R-0653
SECTION 8 VOUCHERS

By: Joseph Holstead, Research Analyst