Application Instructions for Pennsylvania Section 8

Step 1

Individuals and families currently living in Pennsylvania and unable to afford or find safe housing has hope. Through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) households have access to affordable housing. Whether you are a low-income family or have recently been displaced, you can receive housing assistance. Additionally, special priority is given to households with elderly or disabled members. If you are searching for assistance for your household, PHFA offers:

• Section 8 public housing
• The Housing Choice Voucher program

Section 8 public housing, also referred to as HUD apartments or project-based housing, is for low-income households unable to find housing. You are provided with a unit in a Section 8 apartment complex. This unit features a pre-determined rate, for which you will pay up to 30 percent of your household income toward rent. This program is in high demand, and as a result you will be placed on waitlist when you apply for Section 8 public housing. When you apply to a waitlist you will restricted to the apartment selected for you. If you decide to move out of your selected unit, then your Section 8 benefits will cease. However, you can reapply to another public housing waitlist as long as your Section 8 rental history is in good standing.

The Housing Choice Voucher program gives low-income households financial aid to cover rental costs. With this program you find your own home via privately-managed properties. It allows you to choose your home, as well as the location where you will live. You are then given a subsidy that covers the cost of rent beyond 30 percent of your income that you are required to pay. In choosing a home for the Housing Choice Voucher program, be sure to select an affordable home that is vetted by Section 8. There are more than 67,000 apartments in Pennsylvania are considered low-income apartments. Additionally, your landlord must participate in the program in order to receive the HCV subsidy to help pay for your rent.

Who can Qualify for Section 8?

For individuals and households interested in receiving Pennsylvania Section 8, certain qualifications must be met. For starters, everyone in your household must be either a US citizen or naturalized permanent resident. You will be required to show birth certificates, Social Security cards, IDs, etc. to prove the citizenship status of all household members.

Secondly, the individual in your household who is applying for Section 8 services must be at least 18. As for the low-income requirement, which requires your household to not earn more than the low-income limit, everyone over 18 is accountable. That means everyone over 18 who is not disabled or elderly will be included in the household income limit based on your household size.

Other qualifications for the Section 8 program are established by HUD:

• Must have a clean criminal record, which is verified by a criminal background check of all household adults
• Must have a good standing with your landlord and previous landlords
• Must be in good standing with the Section 8 program and not owe back rent

If you qualify, then the next step in the process is to apply for Pennsylvania Section 8 services.

How to Apply

The first step in applying for Pennsylvania Section 8 is to determine your preferred type of service. You will need to apply for Section 8 public housing and the Housing Choice Voucher program separately. Decide which type of assistance best meets your need. Then choose the local public housing authoritythat offers this service. You can sign up for more than one program at more than one PHA. This is important as all PHAs have a waitlist:

• There are 24 Section 8 waitlists for the Housing Choice Voucher program that are currently open.
• There are 79 waitlists for public housing that are open now.

You will increase your odds of apply to more than one waitlist. However, if you do this for the public housing program, keep in mind you are required to live in the PHA area that you apply to. Therefore, if you want to move out of your PHA-provided unit, then you will need to apply to a different waitlist. For the Housing Choice Voucher program, you can transfer to a different PHA service area without losing your assistance.

When you apply you are required to prove your household composition and low-income. The PHA agent will request an extensive list of documents that you are required to provide. Failure to do so can cause your application to be denied. Your household will also go through an interview process that requires everyone to be in attendance. However, HUD offers a phone interview for individuals who are disabled or elderly, and unable to attend the interview in person.

To learn more about the Section 8 programs and processes for applying in Pennsylvania, contact the Philadelphia Regional Office or Pittsburgh Field Office for your HUD representative.