How to Apply for Minnesota Section 8

Minnesota Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program is for the very low-income tenants who can’t afford safe and sanitary housing with their household income. The program provides rental subsidy to such families and individuals so that they can afford quality housing even with low income. The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides grants for Section 8 funding.

The participant can choose any resident within the state that meets housing standard requirements. These standards are set by HUD and every house must comply with these in order to receive rental assistance under Section 8. The participant can select an apartment, a single-family house, or a townhouse depending on family size. You can search for available housing units by visiting this page (http://www.housinglink.org/Home.aspx). Once you’re on the page, search for counties/cities to find a Section 8 Voucher Accepted housing. Listings with a red checkmark are available.

Minnesota Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher is only available for low-income households who fall within the income limits set by the program. Applicants will need to bring documents to prove that their household income is below the limits. Applicants will also need to meet certain additional requirements such as citizenship, no criminal record, and good background as a tenant.

Minnesota Section 8 assistance goes directly to the landlord. Typically, Section 8 tenants need to pay up to 40% of their household income for rent and utilities. Section 8 assistance will pay the rest. If tenant moves to another housing after serving a notice to the landlord and informing Section 8 housing authority, the voucher will move with the tenant.

Minnesota Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program requires participants to comply with all federally-funded housing program rules. In addition to that, participants can’t own or have any interest in the housing unit they are currently occupying as a Section 8 tenant. Tenants will also need to pay their rent on time to avoid late payment penalty from their landlord. If there is a change in income or family size, the participants are required to report it to their housing authority at the earliest.

Who can Qualify for Section 8?

To receive Section 8 rental assistance in Minnesota, you will need to meet the following eligibility criteria.

• Citizenship: Only U.S citizens or qualified aliens who can produce necessary documents to prove their status can apply for Minnesota Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.

• Residence: To be eligible for Minnesota Section 8, you will need to provide proof of your residence. You should be a resident of state of Minnesota to receive voucher.

• Income eligibility: To receive housing choice voucher through Minnesota Section 8 program, applicant’s household income should be within the income limits. You can check your income against these limits according to family size at HUD’s website (http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/il.html).

• Family: Minnesota Section 8 rental assistance is only available to applicants who meet the HUD’s definition of family. A family can be a single person or a group of persons.

• Drug-related criminal activity: Anyone who has been evicted from public housing due to drug related criminal activity will not be able to qualify for Section 8 assistance.

How to Apply

The Minnesota Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program is for low-income residents of state of Minnesota. To apply, you will need to contact your local housing authority who administers Section 8 grant in your area. You can find contact information for your local housing authority offering Section 8 assistance using this link (http://www.housinglink.org/HousingResources/SubsidizedHousing/Section8Voucher/Section8VoucherMaps.aspx).

You will only be able to apply to a Section 8 waiting list if the list is open. You can check here (http://www.housinglink.org/HousingResources/WaitingList.aspx) for housing authorities that have waiting list openings. You can also visit website of your local housing authority (http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/states/minnesota/renting/hawebsites) to know about waiting lists.