Section 8 is a federal program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program provides eligible families and individuals monthly rental assistance. But who qualifies for Section 8? If you need housing assistance, it’s helpful to know who’s eligible and how to apply.

What Is Section 8 Housing?

Section 8 housing is a federal program that provides vouchers to help low-income families and individuals pay for housing. Program participants can choose their own housing, as long as it meets the requirements of the program. That means people who use Section 8 are not limited to subsidized housing projects, but may look for single-family homes, townhomes, or apartments.

How Section 8 Vouchers Work

Housing-choice vouchers are issued by Public Housing Agencies (PHAs). The federal government provides money to the PHAs to issue the vouchers to people eligible for Section 8. If an individual or family receives a housing-choice voucher, it provides what’s effectively a discount on their rent. The PHA pays a housing subsidy to the landlord on behalf of the Section 8 recipient. The recipient then pays the difference between the actual rent owed and the amount covered by Section 8.

How Much Help Does Section 8 Provide?

Section 8 rules don’t specify a set dollar amount that individuals or families can receive to apply toward rent payments. Instead, the PHA establishes a payment standard, which is a baseline amount needed to rent a moderately-priced dwelling in the local housing market. A family receiving housing vouchers can choose to rent a dwelling that’s above or below the payment standard set by the PHA. In most cases, recipients must pay 30% of their monthly adjusted gross income for rent and utilities. In some cases, this can increase to 40% if the rent is higher than the payment standard. For example, say that you live in Los Angeles. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles sets the payment standard for a two-bedroom unit at $2,248. If you qualified for the program with an income of $2,800 per month, then using the 30% rule, you’d be responsible for paying $840 toward rent and utilities. In Philadelphia, the payment standard is applied based on fair market rents by zip code. Standards are categorized as basic, traditional, midrange, opportunity, or high opportunity rents, based on where the properties are located. So a two-bedroom unit in a basic rent area would have a payment standard of $1,012. Meanwhile, a two-bedroom unit in a high opportunity rent area has a payment standard of $1,870. Assume you’re approved for the program with an income of $1,900 a month. You choose a unit in the middle that has a payment standard of $1,287. You’d be responsible for paying $570 toward rent and utilities for that apartment.

Why Section 8 Exists

The Section 8 program exists to help low-income families and individuals find affordable housing. The program was authorized by Congress in 1974 and developed by HUD to provide housing subsidies for eligible renters. Section 8 was largely intended to be a response to the increasing amount of income families had to dedicate to paying for rental housing.

Section 8 Voucher Requirements

Who qualifies for Section 8? The answer is not simple. It depends on your ability to meet four specific requirements as established by HUD.

Income Limits

People who apply for Section 8 are subject to income limits, which are set annually by HUD. These income limits are calculated as a percentage of the median income for individual areas of the country. There are three income-limit tiers:

Extremely low income: 30% of the area’s median income levelVery low income: 50% of the area’s median income levelModerately low income: 80% of the area’s median income level

These income limits take into account where you live as well as the number of people in your household. Using Los Angeles as an example again, the 2021 limits for a four-person household are as follows:

Extremely low income: $35,450Very low income: $59,100Moderately low income: $94,600

HUD offers an online query tool that you can use to check income limits in your area.

Citizenship Status

Section 8 eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens and non-citizens who qualify for certain immigrant categories. When you apply for Section 8, you and every person in your household must sign a certification form stating that you are:

A U.S. citizen, ORAn eligible alien, ORChoosing not to claim eligibility status

A declaration is enough to meet HUD standards for verifying citizenship. However, your PHA could ask for additional documentation, including:

U.S. passport(s)Resident alien card(s)Registration card(s)Social Security card(s)

Eligible immigrants may also be required to sign a declaration attesting to their immigration statuses, provide documents from the Immigration and Naturalization Service proving those statuses, or sign a form giving the PHA consent to use that information.

Family Status

Section 8 applicants also have to meet HUD’s definition of a family. A family, for HUD, is an individual or group of individuals that meets any of these conditions:

Have children Have one family member that’s 62 or older Have one family member who is disabled Has been displaced from their home for an eligible reason Lived with people receiving Section 8 but lives alone after other family members have moved out

Single people can qualify for Section 8, and you don’t need to have children to be eligible.

Eviction History

Families or individuals generally must have positive rental histories to be considered for Section 8. HUD disqualifies people from applying who have been evicted from a property for drug-related or criminal activity. You can also be disqualified if you’ve ever been convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine in a subsidized housing project.

How To Apply

To apply for Section 8 housing-choice vouchers, you’ll need to contact your local Public Housing Agency. Your PHA can tell you if the program is currently accepting new applicants and what documents you’ll need to apply. Depending on where you live, you may be able to apply online, in person, or by mail.

Complete the Application

You’ll need to fill out the housing-choice voucher application used by your PHA. The information requested can vary, but you may be asked for any or all of the following:

Your name and the names of all people living in your householdName and address information for the head of householdDates of birth, Social Security numbers, places of birth, and genders of all people living in the householdYour preferred bedroom sizeYour veteran or military statusYour current homelessness statusCriminal historyResidency statusRace, ethnicity, and native languageDisability statusNames of previous landlordsCurrent employer’s name and contact information

It’s important to be as thorough and accurate as possible when completing the application, whether you’re submitting it online, in person or by mail. Omitting information or providing inaccurate information could result in your application being denied.

Submit Supporting Documents

Once you support your application, your PHA may ask for supporting documentation. Some of the things you may be asked for may include:

Copies of government-issued IDs for all members of the householdProof of citizenship (i.e., passports, birth certificates, etc.)Bank account statementsPay stubsTax returnsCopies of your current rental agreement

Responding to any requests for information is important for getting your application processed as quickly as possible.

Join the Waiting List

If you’re approved for Section 8, you’ll most likely be added to a waiting list. This waiting list is a pool of all individuals and families who have been approved for housing-choice vouchers. Once a home becomes available to rent, you can be taken off the waiting list and begin receiving voucher benefits. A PHA can close its waiting list to new applicants if there aren’t enough resources to go around to pay housing benefits. And getting on the waiting list doesn’t mean you’ll be able to secure housing right away. In some cases, it can take years for a Section 8 applicant to rise to the top of the pool.

The Bottom Line

Section 8 housing can help make housing more affordable for eligible families and individuals. In terms of who qualifies for Section 8, the general answer is people with low incomes. But the income limits you’re subject to and your ability to get help can be determined by where you live or how many people live with you. If you need help with housing, Section 8 is just one option, and it can take time to get approved. You can also ask your Public Housing Agency about other possibilities for getting rental assistance if you don’t qualify for a housing-choice voucher.