How to Apply for New Mexico Section 8

New Mexico Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program offers rental assistance to low-income families, elderly, and disabled so that they can afford quality housing in private housing market. The participants are free to choose their own housing, not limited to housing units located in subsidized housing projects. They can choose an apartment, a family house, a single family unit, or even a townhouse depending on the family size.

Housing Choice Voucher program is administered by local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) which receives funding from U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Local PHAs distribute vouchers among the income-eligible individuals and families. These PHAs keep a waiting list that sets the priority issuing for housing choice vouchers.

Participants will need to find a housing unit that meets quality standards set by HUD. These quality standards require a housing unit to be safe and sanitary. PHAs will inspect the housing unit to see if it meets HUD’s standards or not. If the housing unit meets HUD’s quality standards, PHA will allow rental assistance if participant meets all other requirements for Section 8 voucher. Participants can take voucher with them in case they are moving from one housing unit to another.

Once a housing unit has been approved by PHA for housing choice voucher, it will sign a contract with the landlord to pay the rental subsidy directly to the landlord. At the same time, participant will sign a contract of tenancy with the landlord and will pay rent in access of housing subsidy paid by PHA to the landlord. Tenant will have all the rights and duties under the contract of tenancy in addition to duties for being a Section 8 participant. Section 8 tenants can be ejected on base of gross misconduct or violation of terms of the contract.

Those looking to receive rental assistance through Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program will need to apply for the program through their local PHAs. Each PHA maintains a long waiting list since applications exceeds available funds in New Mexico. To have a greater chance to receive the voucher, you should apply to as many waiting lists as many possible. The PHA will require proof of your income and resources in addition to identification of all the family members. It will verify all the details before putting you on the waiting list. Usually families and individuals below 50% of the state median income will qualify for Section 8 grant. There are no work requirements for New Mexico Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.

Who can Qualify for Section 8?

To receive rental assistance through New Mexico Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, applicants will need to meet the following eligibility requirements.

• Applicants must meet the definition of a family as provided by PHA

• The head of the household or spouse must be 18 years of age or older. Emancipated minors are an exception to this rule.

• Applicants’ household annual income may not exceed income limit as defined by HUD

• Applicants must be able to prove their citizenship or eligible immigration status

• Applicants must not have a drug-related criminal record

Definition of a family

A family can be a single person or a group of persons living together, with or without children. Elderly, disabled, and displaced families will also fall within the definition of a family for Section 8 rental assistance. Your PHA will determine whether or not you meet the definition of a ‘family’.

Income limits

New Mexico Section 8 rental assistance is only available to very low-income families. The program uses median family income to determine applicant’s income eligibility for the program. Applicants will only be able to qualify if their family’s gross income is below 50% of the median family income.

Median family income for different metropolitan areas in New Mexico is different resulting in different income limits for each area.

Area 50% of median family income 30% of median family income

Santa Fe $32,650 $19,600

Albuquerque $31,450 $18,850

Farmington $27,650 $16,600

Las Cruces $23,500 $14,100

According to the law, 75% of the Section 8 vouchers will go to individuals and families with family income below 30% of median family income.

How to Apply

To apply for New Mexico Section 8 (Housing Choice Voucher), you can follow these simple steps.

Step 1: Contact your local Public Housing Authority (PHA) where you want to apply for Section 8 rental assistance. You can use this list (http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/pha/contacts/states/nm.cfm) to find contact information such as address, telephone number, and name for PHAs in your area.

Step 2: Ask the PHA is applications are being accepted or not. Most PHAs will not accept applications once the waiting list has gone too long. If the waiting list is currently closed and PHA isn’t accepting anymore applications, ask them for the date when applications will be accepted again. Remember, it may take years to provide rental assistance to everyone on a waiting list.

Step 3: Fill the pre-application form if the PHA is accepting applications. You can pick up this form at PHA office or ask the PHA to mail it to you. PHA will be able to do a quick assessment using the pre-application form. You can also fill the form on telephone in some cases. Some PHAs aren’t accepting pre-application anymore and require you to fill complete application to be placed on the waiting list.

Step 4: PHA will inform you when your name is finally selected from the waiting list. You will need to come in for an interview and prove your eligibility by bringing in all the required documents. In case, the PHA accepted a pre-application for waiting list, you will need to fill out complete application at this stage.