applying for section 8 in Maine
How to Apply for Maine Section 8
Maine Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is for low-income families, elderly, and disabled so that they can get affordable, safe, and sanitary housing with the help of financial assistance provided through this program.
Income eligible tenants, who receive Section 8 grant, will be able to afford better housing since they will get financial help. However, rental assistance available through Section 8 is a partial assistance and only pays a portion of rent and not the entire amount. Households will need to pay up to 40% of their household income for rent and utilities. The program will cover the rent that’s above 40% of household income. Some households may only have to pay up to 30% of their total household income to cover the amount of rent left after Section 8 rental subsidy paid to the landlord.
Section 8 is a federally funded program. The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides necessary funds for the program while local Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) administer the program at the local level to ensure that people with extremely low income can get affordable housing.
Households receiving a housing choice voucher can use it for private rental housing. The housing must meet HUD’s quality standard for Section 8 housing to be approved for the Housing Choice Voucher Program. Other than housing quality, the rent should also be within the limits allowed by Section 8 program. You can use this link (http://www.hud.gov/apps/section8/step2.cfm?state=ME%2Cmaine) and this link (http://www.mainehousing.org/data-reports/subsidized-housing-listings) to search for appropriate housing in Maine. However, you’re not limited to find a house available through this search only. You can find a private housing, get it examined by local PHA, and if approved, you can sign a contract with the landlord. PHA will pay the rent directly to the landlord after signing an agreement with him/her.
In order to use Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, you will need to find a suitable housing where the landlord is willing to rent it to you under Section 8. If the landlord asks for security deposit before signing a lease contract (which should be minimum one-year contract), you will need to provide it. Section 8 won’t help with such security deposits.
When you’re using Section 8 rental assistance, you’ve to make sure that you fulfill your obligations as a tenant. You will need to submit rent on time and keep the housing unit in good condition. If there is a change in circumstance that led to Section 8 assistance, you should inform local PHA at the earliest. This can be a change in household income or family size.
Maine Section 8 serves the most vulnerable families and individuals living in the state of Maine. The program will help the very-low income and it will give priority to disabled, elderly, and homeless. Those with a history of alcohol or a criminal activity on the record may not be accepted for the program.
Who can Qualify for Section 8?
To receive Section 8 rental assistance, you need to meet eligibility criteria for the program.
-
You should be a U.S citizen or a qualified alien. You will need to provide documentation for citizenship or eligible immigration status.
-
You should not have any previous criminal record.
-
If you go to Maine Housing or another housing authority, you may not get the voucher for rental assistance through Section 8.
-
Housing unit must pass the housing quality standards set by HUD.
-
Rent for housing unit should be within the limits provided by the program.
-
Your household income must be within the limits set by the program. You can view details of income limits here (http://www.mainehousing.org/docs/rental/section8incomelimits.pdf?sfvrsn=2).
How to Apply
Maine Section 8 Housing Voucher Program is for low-income families who can’t afford safe and sanitary housing. Rental assistance is available to residents of the state of Maine if they meet program eligibility. Here is how to apply for the program.
To apply for Maine Section 8, you will need to apply in county where you’ve lived for at least one year. You can obtain application from HUD’s local office or download them for your county from this link (http://www.mainehousing.org/HousingChoiceVouchers). Click name of your country under ‘How Do I Apply’ to get application for Section 8.
You can also apply to state’s housing assistance programs in addition to HUD’s Section 8 rental assistance. With long waiting lists, you would want to apply with local as well as federal housing program to increase chances of getting the assistance early.
You can find a list of local housing authorities here (http://www.mainehousing.org/Charts/local-housing-authority-contacts).
You can also locate your local PHA office using this link (http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/pha/contacts).
For more information on Section 8 rental assistance, please contact using the following phone numbers.
-
(866) 357-4853
-
(207) 624-5789
-
(800) 462-5718
