Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program
WHAT IS SECTION 8?
The Section 8 Housing Program was established by Congress in 1974. The program is administered in every state throughout the country. Nassau County Office of Housing administers the Section 8 program, local administrator, for NYS Division of Housing & Community Renewal (DHCR) with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). The Section 8 program helps low income families afford permanent rental housing, subsidizing a portion of the monthly rent.
SECTION 8 TENANT BASED VOUCHERS - "HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS"
Tenant-based vouchers increase affordable housing choices for very low-income families ( i.e. families with income below 50% of area median income). Families with a tenant-based voucher choose and lease safe, decent, and affordable privately owned rental housing that meets HUD's Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and has a reasonable rent as compared to other units in the area.
FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY is a HUD program, established in 1990 by section 554 of the National Affordable Housing Act, that encourages communities to develop local strategies to help assisted families obtain employment that will lead to economic independence and self-sufficiency. Nassau County Office of Housing works with welfare agencies, schools, businesses, and other local partners to develop a comprehensive program that gives participating FSS family members the skills and experience to enable them to obtain employment that pays a living wage.
PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS are a component of the Housing agency's housing choice voucher program. A Housing Agency can attach up to 20 percent of its voucher assistance to specific housing units if the owner agrees to either rehabilitate or construct the units, or the owner agrees to set aside a portion of the units in an existing development. Rehabilitated units must require at least $1,000 of rehabilitation per unit to be subsidized, and all units must meet HUD housing quality standards. Owners select families for occupancy of a particular unit after screening each eligible family on a PHA's housing choice voucher waiting list that is interested in moving into the specific project.
MAINSTREAM VOUCHERS are for elderly and non-elderly families that have a person with disabilities.
HOME OWNERSHIP VOUCHERS assist first-time homeowners with their monthly home ownership expenses. The home must pass an initial housing quality standard inspection conducted by the Housing Agency and an independent home inspection before the Housing Agency may approve the purchase by the family.
Families must meet Section 8 program requirements:
- First-time homeowner or cooperative member.
- Minimum income requirement.
- Employment requirement.
- Home ownership counseling.
FAMILY UNIFICATION vouchers are made available to families for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the separation, or threat of imminent separation, of children from their families or in the prevention of reunifying the children with their families. Family unification vouchers enable families to lease decent, safe and sanitary housing.
Families are eligible for these vouchers if they meet two conditions:
- The public child welfare agency has certified that it is a family for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the imminent placement of the family's child, or children, in out-of-home care, or in the delay of discharge of a child, or children, to the family from out-of-home care; and
- The Housing Agency has determined the family is eligible for a housing choice voucher.
For information contact:
Section 8 Housing Program
40 Main Street, 1st Floor
Hempstead, NY 11550
516-572-1900
Connie Lassandro,
Director of Housing and Homeless Services
516-572-1900
Margaret Milidantri,
Deputy Director, Housing & Homeless Services
516-572-1900
Yvette Pacheco
Deputy Director of Home Ownership
Homeownership
516- 572-1900
Karen Woodmansee
Program Coordinator for Homeless Intervention
Homeless Intervention
516-572-1900
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