How to Apply for Pennsylvania Section 8

Pennsylvania Housing Choice Voucher program, also known as Section 8, provides housing choice vouchers to eligible families and individuals living in the state of Pennsylvania and unable to afford safe and sanitary housing. The program is funded by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The local Public Housing Authority (PHA) administers the program locally to ensure that each applicant goes through a comprehensive eligibility test and meets Section 8 requirements before receiving rental subsidy.

The Section 8 recipients can find a housing unit of their choice in the public housing market. However, the housing unit has to meet HUD's requirements. Your local PHA will inspect the housing unit and determine whether or not it meets Section 8 requirements.

Once a Section 8 tenant has selected a housing unit, PHA will sign a contract with the landlord to provide rental subsidy directly to him/her instead of handing it over to the tenant. The tenant will also sign a contract of lease with the landlord to pay the rental amount left after subsidy payment. Eligible families often need to pay up to 30% of their rent and utilities while the rest will be covered by the Section 8 subsidy.

The rental subsidy is also available through project-based rental assistance. Successful applicants will be able to select a subsidized housing unit in a specific building. The PHA will sign a contract with the building owner to include it in project-based Section 8 units. You can find Section 8 subsidized houses using this link (http://www.hud.gov/apps/section8/step2.cfm?state=PA,%20Pennsylvania). If funds last, Section 8 program will also accept applications for a Homeownership Program for Section 8 households.

A household should have low-income to qualify for the Pennsylvania Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. Your local PHA will verify your income and if its below 50% of the are median income, you will be able to to apply. Initially, you will be put on a waiting list after meeting the basic requirements. Once you've reached the top of the list, you will receive a notification for interview and detailed eligibility test. After you qualify both, you will be given a housing choice voucher that can be used for renting a housing unit in the public market or Section 8 subsidized buildings.

Who can Qualify for Section 8?

In order to receive Pennsylvania Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher assistance, you will need to meet the following requirements.

Income requirements

Your household income should be at or below 50% of the area median income. However, you can qualify for Housing Choice Voucher program if your income is above 50% but below 80% and

• you're a non-purchasing household in specific homeownership programs

• you've received continues assistance under public housing or Section 8

• displayed because of prepayment on mortgage

HUD also publishes a extremely low income limit, usually set at 30% of the media income. PHAs will need to ensure 75% admissions in the this income category each year.

Citizenship

You should be a US citizen or a qualified alien with all the necessary legal documentation to be considered for Section 8 program.

Other requirements

In order to be eligible for Section 8 program, you must not have

• been evicted from a Section 8 or another public housing

• a drug related criminal record

How to Apply

To apply for Pennsylvania Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, you will need to follow these tips.

• Locate your nearest PHA office using this link (http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/pha/contacts/states/pa.cfm).

• Check with PHA if the waiting list is open. If waiting list is open, you can obtain an application from PHA office.

• Fill the application, completing all details, and attach all the necessary documents with it before submitting it to PHA.

• Once your name has come up on the list, PHA will send a notification.