Athmar Park

Section 8 Housing: An Introduction

May 20, 2004

by Councilwoman Rosemary E. Rodriguez

I recently met with the neighborhood association presidents from District 3 regarding Section 8 Housing. We were joined by Linda Camblin, Director of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Denver, and Jerry Graber, Senior Section 8 Manager for the Denver Housing Authority (DHA).

We learned a great deal about the basics of Section 8 and I thought that you also might find this informative. Please do not hesitate to call my office about problem properties so that we can work with DHA to keep our neighborhoods clean and safe.

The underlying premise of the Section 8 program is to get families or individuals in need of housing assistance into quality housing in the private market instead of housing projects. I personally agree with the goals of the program and hope that DHA will institute a homeownership component of the Section 8 program, because homeowners are more likely to become good neighbors, than are renters.

Basic Facts about Section 8

?? Applicants must provide a lot of detailed information to get into the program including income, family composition and a release form so that one?’s income can be verified. There are income limits to amounts the applicant can earn, and rent is 30% of the total earned.

?? Preference is given to applicants who are homeless and those with disabilities.

?? DHA will check into the applicant?’s criminal history and will not allow convicted sex offenders to participate. If a known sex offender moves into a Section 8 residence (and is not the voucher-holder), DHA will ask the offender to leave the unit. If they don?’t leave, the voucher-holder will lose their program rights.

???¡ DHA checks rental history and property maintenance/upkeep history.

?? Once a Section 8 voucher is issued the applicant finds a unit in the private market. Size of house depends on number of family members.

?? Landlords are paid by the Federal government and the renter is responsible for a share (30% of income).

?? Upon receiving a voucher, the applicant has 60 days to find a unit. Before a lease is signed, a standards quality inspection for safety and repair is made. The housing authority signs a contract with the owner but the actual lease is between the applicant and the owner.

?? Property is inspected annually and covers life, safety, and health. There are no ?“drop-in?” inspections. If serious repeated lease violations are committed, a voucher is not re-issued.

?? In the event of an eviction, rent is paid through the eviction process. If there is a problem in the house, the owner has 30 days to fix the problem. If the problem is not fixed, the owner is not paid. This is grounds for termination of a contract if a problem is not fixed. Leases are usually one year.

?? Voucher recertification is annual. If income increases, rent increases, but never exceeds 30% of income.

?? The voucher can be used anywhere in the country that has a housing authority.

?? One member of the family is required to be a U.S. Citizen; it does not have to be the head of household. If a resident is added or leaves the household, DHA must be notified.

?? Family assistance can be terminated if a serious crime is committed. Applications for section 8 are distributed by a lottery system conducted on a computer. Last time DHA gave out vouchers, 10,500 people applied in 2 days!

?? Tenants are required to attend an orientation at DHA to learn all the rules and regulations.