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An eviction is when a landlord who owns a property removes a tenant who is occupying that property. A formal eviction requires the tenant and landlord to go through a legal process.

Evictions may occur if the tenant does not follow the rules agreed to in the landlord’s lease, and in some areas, landlords do not need a reason to evict. Tenants may be evicted for a number of reasons, including not paying rent, destruction of property, illegal activity, disrupting other tenants on the property, or violating rules of a lease.

Link to this FAQ: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-help/what-is-an-eviction

While you may apply anywhere in the country, you must live within the jurisdiction of the housing authority providing assistance once you have been notified that you may begin to receive rental assistance.

In regards to the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, if you were not a resident of the area you applied to, you must live within the jurisdiction of that housing authority for one year before you are able transfer to a new area, known as porting. If you were a resident of the housing authority's jurisdiction when applying, you may port it to a new area at any time.

For example, if you live in California, and there is a Section 8 HCV opening by the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) in Maryland, you must move to that housing authority's jurisdiction to receive rental assistance. But, if you lived in Baltimore, MD when you applied to the HABC Section 8 HCV waiting list, you may port it out of the area at any time after receiving your voucher.

Contact the housing authority in your area of interest to find out more information about its specific jurisdiction. You can search our website for housing authority contact information here.

If you are looking for a unit that will accept your voucher, please read our guide here.

Also, the housing authority you applied through may have information on landlords who accept vouchers. Contact the housing authority office for more information. Please click the link above to search for housing authority contact information.

Link to this FAQ: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-help/In-what-areas-can-you-live-for-section-8

Depending on the housing program you apply to, applications for an open waiting list will be available from the area's housing authority, or by an affordable apartment community's management company (or landlord).

Housing authorities manage the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and Public Housing programs, but not all offer both programs. The housing authority may also participate in other housing programs, and offer affordable apartment communities as well.

In addition to programs available by housing authorities, property management companies and private landlords operate affordable apartment communities.

How to get an application varies by each housing office. Applications are usually available online, in the office, or by calling to request one via mail.

The housing authority pages on Affordable Housing Online provide information on how to apply to a specific waiting list. You can find more information on how to apply to open Section 8 waiting lists here, and open Public Housing waiting lists here. If information on how to apply is not available, contact the housing authority for assistance.

Affordable apartment community pages on Affordable Housing online have buttons that allows you to email or call the property, and find out how to apply. If contact information is not available, visit the property in person. You can start your search for an affordable apartment here.

Link to this FAQ: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-help/How-Do-I-Apply

Yes, HUD provides funding for cities, counties, states, and Public Housing Agencies for emergency housing programs and resources. Most of these programs only offer temporary housing and assistance, but there are services for permanent housing as well.

It is important to note that HUD's rental assistance subsidy programs are not emergency housing programs. Participants of these programs (such as the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and Public Housing) usually have to wait on awaiting list for several months or years before receiving assistance. Generally, large metropolitan areas will have longer wait times than lower populated areas.

The specific services provided by every local agency varies. Program providers can explain which services are available.

HUD is currently funding the following programs that provide emergency housing services for homeless families and individuals:

• Continuum of Care (CoC) Program

HUD's explanation of the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program says:

"The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, and State and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless individuals, families, and communities by homelessness; promote access to and effect utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness."

Continuum of Care (CoC) Program providers use funds for multiple purposes, including:

• Permanent Housing
  • "Community-based housing without a designated length of stay in which formerly homeless individuals and families live as independently as possible."* There are two CoC Permanent Housing programs:
    • Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
      • "Permanent housing with indefinite leasing or rental assistance paired with supportive services to assist homeless persons with a disability or families with an adult or child member with a disability achieve housing stability."*
    • Rapid Re-Housing (RRH)
      • "Housing search and relocation services and short- and medium-term rental assistance to move homeless persons and families (with or without a disability) as rapidly as possible into permanent housing."*
• Transitional Housing
  • "Designed to provide homeless individuals and families with the interim stability and support to successfully move to and maintain permanent housing. Transitional housing may be used to cover the costs of up to 24 months of housing with accompanying supportive services."*
• Supportive Services Only
  • Providers may "outreach to sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons and families, link clients with housing or other necessary services, and provide ongoing support."*
• Homelessness Prevention
  • "The services under this component may include housing relocation and stabilization services as well as short- and medium-term rental assistance to prevent an individual or family from becoming homeless. Through this component, [participating agencies] may help individuals and families at-risk of homelessness to maintain their existing housing or transition to new permanent housing."*
• Safe Havens
  • Provides temporary 24-hour shelter for persons who are homeless and have a serious mental illness. Safe Havens are different than standard shelters by encouraging residents to transition from life on the streets to permanent housing. No new Safe Haven projects are being funded, but existing projects can be renewed.
• Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation SRO
  • Offered by Public Housing Agencies, properties were rehabilitated to offer Section 8 Rental Assistance to individual homeless persons. Tenants usually pay 30% of their adjusted income for rent. No new SRO projects are being funded, but they will continue to be renewed.

Further explanation of each of these components can be found here (*all quotes in the above CoC section are sourced from this page).

Where can I apply for Continuum of Care (CoC) services?

HUD has compiled a list of agencies that are receiving CoC funds. Contact information for Continuum of Care (CoC) agencies can be found here.

• Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program

HUD's explanation of the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program, which was renamed in 2012, says:

"The change in the program’s name, from Emergency Shelter Grants to Emergency Solutions Grants, reflects the change in the program’s focus from addressing the needs of homeless people in emergency or transitional shelters to assisting people to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness."

Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program providers use funds for multiple purposes, including:

• Rapid Rehousing
• Street Outreach
• Homelessness Prevention
• Emergency Shelter

Where can I apply for Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) services?

HUD has compiled a list of agencies that are receiving ESG funds. Contact information for Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) agencies can be found here.

• Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) Program

The Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) Program provides housing assistance and supportive services to persons living with HIV/AID, and their families.

Where can I apply for Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) services?

HUD has compiled a list of agencies that are receiving HOPWA funds. Contact information for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) agencies can be found here.

• Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP)

"This program supports a wide range of housing programs including rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and other innovative housing models such as host homes," according to HUD. Rather than providing funds to agencies, HUD awards funds to a select number of communities each year.

As said by HUD, "These communities will develop a coordinated community plan to prevent and end youth homelessness and will fund projects that are consistent with this plan. They will also participate in a program evaluation to inform the federal effort to prevent and end youth homelessness going forward and will serve as leaders in the nation on the work to end homelessness among young people." This is a coordination between housing providers, welfare agencies, school districts, workforce organizations, and the juvenile justice system.

Where can I apply for Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) services?

There is no information provided by HUD of the specific services provided in each community. However, HUD has created a map showing all communities that have received funding. This map can be found here, under the "YHDP Funding Awards" section, in the "Map of YHDP-Funded CoCs" link.

• Local Emergency Assistance Programs

Your state may also have its own emergency assistance programs that helps with rent, utilities or other emergencies; and HUD has made that information easy to find. Information on local emergency housing assistance programs can be found here.

Link to this FAQ: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-help/Does-HUD-Help-In-Emergency-Cases-For-Housing

Under HUD regulations, smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes are not allowed in apartments, public areas or within 25 feet of Public Housing buildings. At this time the smoking ban does not apply to e-cigarettes, nor to HUD properties that participate in housing programs other than Public Housing.

You may or may not be able to smoke in your affordable housing unit; depending on the policy of the housing authority, property management company, or landlord that manages your unit.

• Public Housing residents may not smoke on premises as of July 31, 2018. More information about that ruling can be found here.
• If you are a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher tenant, that policy is set by your landlord. The smoking policy should be identified on your lease.
• For other housing programs, some housing agencies let its residents smoke, while others do not. The smoking policy should be identified on your lease for these programs, as well.

If a housing agency does have a no-smoking policy, there may be designated smoking areas outside. Also, it's important to note that no-smoking policies do not mean that residents who smoke will be evicted. But they will be not be allowed to smoke on premise.

Contact the housing authority, property management company, or landlord that manages your unit to confirm the smoking policy. You can use the search bar at the top of this page to search for housing authority and apartment community contact information.

Link to this FAQ: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-help/can-I-smoke-in-my-unit