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If you have a low income and need affordable rental housing, government programs may help. Public housing agencies use federal funds to run housing programs locally, working with building owners to subsidize rent for eligible people.
Privately-Owned Subsidized Housing
The government gives some property owners money to provide low-rent apartments. Apply at a property’s rental office. Learn more and search for low-rent apartments at https://apps.hud.gov/apps/section8.
To be eligible:
1. You must be within the income limit set for the location and size of your family.
2. You may have to meet other requirements set by the property owner.
Housing Choice Vouchers and Public Housing
Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
You find your own housing. The government pays your landlord the amount allowed by your voucher each month. You pay the difference, if any.
You can rent an apartment, townhouse, or single-family home.
The property must meet health and safety standards.
Your voucher amount is based on your income, family composition, and local housing costs.
Public Housing
You rent housing from the local public housing agency based on your gross annual income.
Housing may include apartments, townhouses, or single-family homes.
The housing agency will contact your current and past landlords, and may visit you at your current home to determine your suitability as a tenant.
To be eligible for either program, you must be:
A family, senior citizen, or person with a disability
Complete an application that will ask about your income, family composition, employer, and bank. The housing agency will verify this information.
Provide all necessary documents such as photo ID, birth certificates, and tax returns at the time of your appointment.
Wait times for these programs can be long and the waiting list may be closed when you try to apply. Keep checking your local public housing agency’s website for their list to reopen.
To learn more about these programs, call the PIH Customer Service Center at 1-800-955-2232 Monday - Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET, or visit https://www.USA.gov/finding-home.
People with low income, seniors, and people with disabilities may qualify for help from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to get affordable rental housing. HUD doesn't own rental property. It gives money to states and building owners, who in turn provide low-income housing opportunities.
Get Personalized Help with Your Search
Find a HUD-approved housing counselor in your area online or call 1-800-569-4287 to find a local housing counseling agency. The counselor may be from a non-profit organization approved to offer advice on housing assistance.
Search by Type of Program
There are three main types of affordable rental housing that are supported by HUD:
Privately owned, subsidized housing in which landlords are subsidized to offer reduced rents to low-income tenants. Search for an apartment and apply directly at the rental management office.
For complaints about subsidized housing, call the Multifamily Housing Complaint Line at 1-800-MULTI-70 (1-800-685-8470).
Public Housing provides affordable rental houses or apartments for low-income families, people who are elderly, and people with disabilities. To apply, contact a public housing agency in your state.
To find out what other help may be available for you locally
Even if you are ineligible for benefits through these agencies, they may be able to provide referrals to community organizations that might offer help. You may also search for and contact community or nonprofit organizations in your area directly for help or referral information.
Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers the HUD-VASD for homeless veterans. It combines HUD housing vouchers with VA supportive services.
Senior Citizens
The Eldercare Locator is a free service that can connect you with resources and programs designed to help seniors in your area.
Housing Choice Voucher Program (Formerly Section 8)
What help is available?
The Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly known as Section 8) is a program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that helps pay for rental housing for low-income families or people who are elderly or disabled throughout the United States.
Participants in this program are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments and use Housing Choice Vouchers to pay for all or part of the rent.
Am I eligible?
Eligibility for a Housing Choice Voucher is determined by your local Public Housing Agency. A representative will determine your eligibility for a voucher based on:
Your annual gross income
Whether you qualify as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family
U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status
Other local factors
Calculations are based on the total annual gross income and family size
In general, a family's income may not exceed 50% of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which the family chooses to live for eligibility.
Each state or city may have different eligibility requirements for housing programs. Contact your local Public Housing Agencyto learn about your eligibility for Housing Choice Vouchers.
You will need to fill out a written application or have a representative of your local Public Housing Agency (PHA) assist you.
A representative of your local Public Housing Agency will collect information on your family income, assets, and family composition.
The PHA will verify this information with other local agencies, your employer, and bank, and will use the information to determine program eligibility and the amount of your housing assistance payment.
The PHA determines a payment that is the amount generally needed to rent a moderately-priced home in the local housing market and that is used to calculate the amount of housing assistance a family will receive.
The maximum housing assistance (Housing Choice Voucher) is generally the lesser of the standard payment for your area minus 30% of your family's monthly adjusted income or the gross rent for the unit minus 30% of your family’s monthly adjusted income.
The housing selected by your family must meet an acceptable level of health and safety before the PHA can approve the unit.
After you are approved for Housing Choice Vouchers, When you find a unit that you wish to occupy and reach an agreement with the landlord over the lease terms, the PHA must inspect the dwelling and determine that the rent requested is reasonable.
How do I check the status of an application?
If your local Public Housing Agency determines that your family is eligible for Housing Choice Vouchers, the PHA will put your name on a waiting list, unless it is able to assist you immediately. Once your name is reached on the waiting list, the PHA will contact you and issue to you a housing voucher.
How do I complain/where do I call for extra help?
If you need assistance applying for Housing Choice Vouchers or getting information about housing programs, you should contact your local Housing Agency.
If you need further assistance, contact your local HUD branch office.
For questions or complaints about the Housing Choice Voucher program, contact the PIH Customer Service Center at 1-800-955-2232 toll-free from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET Monday - Friday, except for federal holidays. You can also send an e-mail to [email protected].
Is there anything else I need to know?
Since the demand for housing assistance often exceeds the limited resources available to HUD and the local housing agencies, long waiting periods are common. Approval for vouchers in one city or state does not guarantee approval for vouchers in another city or state.
Public Housing is state-owned, affordable rental houses or apartments for low-income families, people who are elderly, and people with disabilities administered by The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Public housing is located all over the United States and comes in all sizes and types, from single family houses to high-rise apartments.
Am I eligible?
A Housing Authority representative in your area will determine your eligibility for public housing based on:
Your annual gross income
Whether you qualify as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family
U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status
Other local factors
Housing Authorities use income limits developed by HUD to determine eligibility. HUD sets the lower income limits at 80% and very low income limits at 50% of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which you choose to live.
Income limits vary from area to area so you may be eligible at one area’s Housing Authority but not at another.
Each state or city may have different eligibility requirements for housing programs. Contact your local Public Housing Agency to learn about your eligibility for federal and local public housing programs, Housing Choice vouchers, rental assistance or subsidized housing.
How do I apply?
To apply, contact a Public Housing Agency in your state. Here’s what you can expect during the application process:
The application must be written. Either you or the Housing Authority representative from your Public Housing Agency will fill it out.
A Housing Authority representative usually needs to collect the following information to determine eligibility
Names of all persons who would be living in the unit, their sex, date of birth, and relationship to the family head
Your present address and telephone number
Family characteristics (e.g., veteran) or circumstances (e.g., living in substandard housing) that might qualify the family for tenant selection preferences
Names and addresses of your current and previous landlords for information about your family's suitability as a tenant
An estimate of your family's anticipated income for the next twelve months and the sources of that income
The names and addresses of employers, banks, and any other information the Housing Authority representative would need to verify your income and deductions and to verify the family composition
The Housing Authority representative also may visit you in your home to interview you and your family members to see how you manage the upkeep of your current home.
After obtaining this information, the Housing Authority representative should describe the public housing program and its requirements, and answer any questions you might have.
A Housing Authority representative will request whatever documentation is needed (e.g., birth certificates, tax returns) to verify the information given on your application.
The Housing Authority will also rely on direct verification from your employer, etc. You will be asked to sign a form to authorize the release of pertinent information to the Public Housing Authority.
How do I check the status of an application?
Your Housing Authority has to provide written notification of the status of your application. If the Housing Authority determines that you are eligible, your name will be put on a waiting list, unless the Housing Authority is able to assist you immediately. Once your name is reached on the waiting list, the Housing Authority will contact you.
How do I complain/where do I call for extra help?
If you need assistance applying for public housing or getting information about housing programs, you should contact your local Housing Agency.
If you need further assistance, contact your local HUD branch office.
For information by phone about any housing question or if you need to file a complaint about your local Housing Agency, contact the PIH Customer Service Center at (800) 955-2232 (Toll-Free) from 9 am to 5 pm EST Monday - Friday, except for federal holidays
Since the demand for public housing is often larger than the amount of housing available to HUD and the local Housing Authorities, long waiting periods are common. A HA may close its waiting list when there are more families on the list than can be assisted in the near future.
Identify and Complain about Housing Discrimination
Housing discrimination happens when a housing provider acts in a way that blocks someone from renting or buying housing because of their
Race or color
Religion
Sex
National origin
Familial status (such as having children)
Disability
A housing provider that discriminates against someone could be a landlord or a real estate management company. It could also be a lending institution like a bank or other organization that is an important part of acquiring a home.
The Fair Housing Act does not specifically prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. But discrimination against someone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) may still be in violation of the Act or other state or local regulations. If you think you've been discriminated against for these reasons, file a complaint as described above, or email HUD at [email protected] with general questions about LGBT housing issues.
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