Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
As of October 14, 2024, the Section 8 Waiting List is Closed until further notice.
The Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8) is a rent subsidy program designed to assist very low-income families in paying rent for private housing of their choice. To participate in the program, the family must meet all of the eligibility requirements. The THA currently has 100 Tenant Based Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
The Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV) is a national initiative of the federal government and its purpose is to help very-low income households afford private market rental housing that is decent, safe and sanitary. Rent subsidies are provided to eligible families who receive a housing voucher. A family includes elderly, disabled and single person households.
THA receives funding from HUD to provide housing vouchers to a fixed number of eligible very-low income households and interested individuals are required to apply to the THA waiting list from which names are selected to receive a housing voucher when one becomes available. Families can rent housing of their choice in communities of their choice and it is permanent, long term and affordable. Families typically pay between 30% and 40% of their adjusted annual income towards housing costs. Vouchers can be used for rental assistance in tenant-based assistance. HUD publishes Fair Market Rents (FMR) each year for "modest" rental housing by locality. The HCV monthly subsidy is the difference between 30% of the household's monthly adjusted income and the applicable payment standard.
The program functions as follows:
- Families must complete an application to be place on the waiting list
- THA selects from the waiting list and determines eligibility
- THA issues a housing choice voucher and the family searches for housing
- Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection is conducted
- THA determines whether the rent to owner is reasonable
- Landlord lease and Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract executed
Family Responsibilities
- The family must supply any information that the Thomasville Housing Authority or HUD determines is necessary in the administration of the program, including submission of required evidence of citizenship or eligible immigration status. Information includes any requested certification, release or other documentation.
- The family must disclose and verify Social Security Numbers and must sign and submit consent forms for obtaining information and all information supplied by the family must be true and complete.
- The family must use the assisted unit for a residence by the family. The unit must be the family's only residence.
- The Thomasville Housing Authority must approve the composition of the assisted family residing in the unit and the members of the family must not commit fraud, bribery, or any other corrupt or criminal act in connection with the program.
- The members of the family may not engage in drug-related criminal activity or other violent criminal activity with a disposition of guilty.
- The family must pay the family's share of the rent directly to the landlord each month according to the terms of the lease and must pay for any utilities not included with the rent. Except for normal wear and tear, the family must not damage the dwelling unit and must also abide by the lease in all other respects. The landlord may evict for unpaid rent and/or failure to comply with the lease. THA may terminate the family from the HCV program for providing false information and/or for failure to comply with program rules and regulations.
Housing Authority Role
THA must make initial determinations of eligibility of all families and must re-determine family income and family composition annually in order to calculate family rent to the owner. THA must also inspect all subsidized rental units in its voucher program each year to ensure that they continue to meet HQS. THA is responsible for making rent payments to property owners and ensuring that owners and tenants abide by the rules of the program.