What Are Housing Choice Vouchers?

A Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), also known as a Section 8 voucher, allows low-income individuals and families to obtain affordable, quality housing. Vouchers are an important tool in making sure everyone has a safe, secure place to live.

The funds to provide HCVs come from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and are administered locally by housing authorities, community action programs and other entities.

When a landlord rents to people with HCVs, they are required to follow a variety of guidelines. According to the Bloomington Housing Authority (BHA) website, this includes providing a copy of the lease annually, maintaining the tenant’s unit in accordance with Housing Quality Standards (HQS), and complying with fair housing and equal opportunity requirements.

Applying for a voucher involves filling out paperwork on the website of the agency issuing the vouchers. Then, applications are evaluated to see if families or individuals qualify for the voucher, if they can receive one immediately, or whether they will be placed on a waitlist.

For families on the BHA waiting list, as an example, the staff has developed a system that prioritizes those on the waiting list by their level of need. This system was created to ensure that the most vulnerable populations are being served.

When renting with an HCV, HUD pays a portion of the rent directly to the tenant’s landlord, via the agency that issued the voucher. The tenant is required to pay the remainder of the rent. In addition to paying for a portion of rent on time, tenants are also required to notify the agency that issued the voucher when there are changes in family income or compensation. Tenants must also comply with the lease agreement and HCV program requirements and are unable to allow any unauthorized individuals to occupy their home without permission from both the voucher-issuing agency and the landlord.

HCVs are vital to making housing more affordable and attainable, especially in areas where the cost of living continues to rise. However, with limited landlords accepting HCVs, even those with vouchers are finding it extremely difficult to find a place to rent.

In order to best use the funds provided by HUD to distribute HCVs, it is essential that more landlords rent to people with these vouchers. There are often many misconceptions about families and people with HCVs that deter landlords from accepting HCVs. These stigmas are dangerous.

Renting to those with housing choice vouchers not only expands access to affordable housing, but it is also one of the easiest ways for landlords to ensure that they will receive rent in full and on time.

To learn about the perspectives of landlords in the area who are renting to those with HCVs, watch this video. To hear the stories of tenants who have HCVs, watch this video to learn how their lives have been changed.

If you are a landlord in Bloomington and are interested in learning more about renting to people with HCVs, follow this link to access additional resources and information from BHA. For information about HCVs offered by the South Central Community Action Program (SCCAP), click here. For Lawrence County residents, click here for information from the Bedford Housing Authority.