Each Wednesday, Dave Layfield, our founder and resident affordable housing expert, does a live video chat with our users at 3:00 pm ET on Blab.im. He usually spends an hour or more answering users’ questions about affordable housing assistance. Users can come on camera live with Dave and ask any question. Most of the time, he has the answer, but if he is unable to answer the question at the time, he will research the question after the chat and then reach out to the user.
Following are the questions and Dave’s answers from the live video chat of Wednesday, October 7, 2015. We have embedded the recording of the video chat for you to watch.
@Handsom4: “My son, who has now moved out, had an assault charge downgraded to a no trespassing charge, and the housing authority has requested a hearing to terminate my voucher. Is that legal?
Dave: That’s a very specific situation, and I try not to answer legal questions because I’m not a lawyer. If he has moved out and is no longer on your lease, that should help. I have read about a situation where if someone in the household had a criminal charge that violated the housing authority’s policy, one way to request an exception is to have them reconsider their decision because that person has since moved out. There is another layer to your request, because the offence was downgraded. The best thing is to speak to the housing authority and try to work out an agreement. Usually, a decision like this is subject to your appeal rights. If they do decide to terminate your voucher, we recommend looking for an attorney. If you cannot afford and attorney, search for a legal aid attorney in your area.
@damyelle423: “I just got a voucher. How can I find a unit in Chattanooga, TN?”
Dave: Chattanooga, TN is a problem area. Many people in your shoes lose their voucher because they can’t find a landlord that is willing to accept a Section 8 voucher. The Chattanooga Housing Authority knows it has a problem, and the office is doing a lot of extra things that housing authorities don’t normally do to solve the problem. Recently, the housing authority has sponsored a landlord-tenant fair to match people with vouchers with a landlord. Also, any federally subsidized apartment community – not a Section 8 or Public Housing property, but a private property that has received some sort of federal subsidies – isn’t allowed to turn you down if you have a voucher. Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) communities are among these properties. For the most part, those properties want voucher holders because many times, those units don’t have rental subsidies attached to them, and it’s harder to find renters. I suggest taking a look at those properties. You can find information on those properties on our Chattanooga, TN web page.
[Anonymous by user request]: “I applied in 2007 in New York City, NY. I wonder if they called me and I missed my turn? I logged in to see my status, and it says that I am on the preliminary waiting list since 2011.”
Dave: New York City’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list has been closed for an extremely long time. The wait time is about 15 years long, and I believe it is the longest waiting list in the country. There are a few hundred thousand people on the waiting list, and you are probably one of them. If you logged in, and the website says you are on the waiting list, I would say that is accurate. The housing authority is not going to contact you very often, except for a purging notice. The office will send you something asking to update your contact information. Make sure your information is still accurate. Other than that, the housing authority will not constantly update you of your status, and it is your responsibility to keep logging in and checking your status.
[Anonymous by user request]: “I am applying to every single opening across the country, but I am not sure if I am just rolling the dice. Do housing authorities just consider applicants from their own city? Is this whole thing a crapshoot?”
Dave: No, it is not a crapshoot; it’s still worth applying to open waiting lists. We have the most complete database of Section 8 waiting lists in the country, and we provide very specific information on how to apply. If you are willing to move and want to change your life, you are doing the right thing. The more pre-applications you can complete, the better. I recommend looking for online pre-applications, so you don’t have to worry about postage, or visiting an office in person. Please view all open Section 8 waiting lists we are aware of to maximize your chances.
[Anonymous by user request]: “Will outside cities consider me even though I have no income to report?”
Dave: That’s a two-faceted question. First, there is no minimum income to qualify for the Section 8 program. Because of this fact, income will not be a factor in qualifying for a waiting list outside of where you live. However, a housing authority may have preferences, including a local residency preference. These are preferences, and not requirements, but in rare cases, a housing authority can ask HUD for an exception. If you are not a resident, and the waiting list has a local residency preference, you will be placed on the waiting list after all local residents. So yes, the office will still consider you, but keep this in mind when applying for waiting lists outside of where you live.
@LFJGill: “If I ever do get a voucher, can I look in a different state, or only in the area of the voucher?”
Dave: If you get a voucher, you can’t usually then immediately take that voucher somewhere else. Once you have received a voucher, you must live within the jurisdiction of that housing authority. So, if you receive a voucher from the Baltimore City, Maryland housing authority, you can’t decide to take the voucher and move to Sacramento, California. However, after using your voucher for one year, you may move your voucher to a new area, known as porting. The exception to this is if you lived in the jurisdiction of the voucher issuing housing authority when you applied for the waiting list. In that case, you can port your voucher out immediately without waiting for one year.
@LFJGill: “Realistically, can someone ever find a house, rather than an apartment, that would take my Section 8 voucher?”
Dave: That’s a developing problem in America. There are a lot of single family landlords that are not accepting Section 8 vouchers. It is much more difficult to find a house, rather than an apartment, but it is not unheard of. There are many jurisdictions around America, including Chicago, New York City, and the State of Oregon that prohibit landlords from discriminating against you based on the fact that you are using a voucher to pay for your rent. So if you live in any of those areas, a landlord cannot tell you “no” based solely on having a voucher. I would keep looking and you should find at least a few landlords that would accept your voucher.
@barb_schutzius: “How do you get on the Section 8 program?”
Dave: You apply to be put on an open waiting list through a local housing authority or apartment community. You may apply to any open waiting list in the country, regardless of your location. How to get a pre-application varies depending on each office’s policy. Pre-applications are usually available online, by mail, or in the office. After submitting your pre-application, the housing authority sorts through applicants and places a select number on the waiting list. Keep in mind that due to the extremely high demand for affordable housing assistance, even those who are qualified are not guaranteed to be placed on the waiting list. Furthermore, please understand that the Section 8 and Public Housing programs are not emergency housing programs, and applicants are often on waiting lists for several years.
Please view all open Section 8 waiting lists we are aware of, and all open Public Housing waiting lists we are aware of. You may also search for your area of interest through our database.
@rdwarrior123: “I received a voucher on August 1, but I still can’t use it due to a reasonable accommodation request that has not been answered, and no apartments will take my voucher. What can I do?”
Dave: If your request has not been answered in a reasonable period of time, we recommend contacting the housing authority to speak to a supervisor. You can search our database for housing authority contact information. If you feel the housing authority is mistreating you in regards to your reasonable accommodation request, you may send a complaint to HUD.
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