Search Low Income Apartments And Waiting Lists

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

You can find out the area the housing authority serves on its Annual Plan, on Affordable Housing Online, and sometimes on the housing authority's website. You can also call the housing authority and ask a representative to confirm their jurisdiction.

Each housing authority serves a specific, city (or cities), county (or counties), or the entire state. The area served is its jurisdiction. Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher holders participating in that housing authority's program may only use their voucher within its jurisdiction.

This information can be found on the top of all housing authority pages on Affordable Housing Online. Under the "About Housing Authority" section, you will see the line "The Housing Authority serves..." Those areas are the housing authority's jurisdiction. You can confirm this information with the housing authority.

Many housing authority websites display this information, weather it's on the home page, "About Us" page, or Section 8 program. If the jurisdiction cannot be found, search for the Annual Plan document. This document will state the jurisdiction, and may be found on any of the web pages mentioned above. If this information cannot be found online, contact the housing authority.

Link to this FAQ: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-help/How-Can-I-Find-Out-The-Area-The-HA-Serves

No, HUD's affordable housing programs are not emergency housing programs, and due to high demand, it is common to be on a waiting list for several months or years. Generally, large metropolitan areas have long waiting lists, while lower populated areas have shorter waiting lists.

However, your state may have its own emergency assistance program that helps with rent, utilities or other emergencies; and HUD has made that information easy to find.

• If you are in need of emergency housing, or at risk of losing your current housing, visit HUD's website here. Select the link for your state, and on the next page, scroll down to the "I Want To" section. There, select the "Find Homeless Resources" link for a list of available local resources. Helpful resources include:
  • Shelter locations (Locations will be listed for men, women, and children)
  • Emergency rental assistance
  • Avoid foreclosure
  • Help with your utility bills
  • Food banks
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • Homeless service groups
  • Legal assistance
  • Social Security offices
  • Homeless veterans
  • United Way
  • Jobs and job training
  • Help hotlines
  • HUD resources
• If you need to find an affordable apartment quickly, waiting lists for apartment communities run by private management companies are usually shorter than a Section 8 or Public Housing waiting list managed by a HUD housing authority. However, many waiting lists are still months or years long, and applicants must go through an approval process that takes some time.
  • You can search for an affordable apartment in your area here. Type your city or county in the search bar at the top of the page, and then select the area in the drop down menu. The pages for many communities listed on Affordable Housing Online include a way to directly contact the management office for more information. If these options are available, you can call the phone number provided on the page, or send an online message directly to the office through Affordable Housing Online's form. If these methods of contact are not available on a community’s page, visit the community's location for more information.

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

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, commonly abbreviated as HUD, is the main agency that oversees federal affordable housing and community development programs. It was created as a cabinet-level department in 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty.

Since 2017, Ben Carson has served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the Trump Administration. The position was last held by Julian Castro from 2014 until 2017.

Housing Opportunity and Rental Assistance

HUD administers affordable housing programs that help low-income households pay for rent. Through these programs, HUD may also offer supportive services, utility cost reimbursements, self-sufficiency planning, and job training for eligible households. The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, and Public Housing are HUD’s primary affordable housing programs.

HUD also funds housing for populations with special needs. These programs include the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly, Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs. HUD also administers grants to help persons experiencing homelessness, including shelters, transitional housing, and services.

Community Development

HUD provides funding to states, counties, and cities for public infrastructure and economic development. Some of these programs can be used to build or rehabilitate affordable housing including the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). Through the Office of Public and Indian Housing, HUD provides block grants to tribes for housing and community development through the Indian Housing Block Grant and Indian Community Development Block Grant programs.

Affordable Homeownership

HUD assists homebuyers through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). FHA-insured mortgages have helped millions of first-time homebuyers purchase homes. HUD also oversees lead paint and hazard removal programs, and standards for manufactured housing.

Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

HUD is charged with enforcing the Fair Housing Act to address housing discrimination through the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. HUD also administers funds to rebuild communities after natural disasters through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief program.

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

Under HUD regulations, smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes will not be 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