Photo of a man in a wheelchair using a ramp to get to the front door of his home.

What is the Mainstream Voucher Program?

Photo of a man in a wheelchair using a ramp to get to the front door of his home.

The Mainstream Voucher program provides Section 8 low-income rental assistance for adults with a disability who are under 62 years old.

A Mainstream Voucher is a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) that helps non-elderly disabled persons rent an apartment. It is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Mainstream Vouchers, like Section 8 Vouchers, allow tenants to pay only a portion of their income for rent, But that’s not the only benefit – Mainstream Voucher tenants can rent from a private landlord that they choose.

How Mainstream Vouchers Work

Mainstream Vouchers work like a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher. Tenants usually pay 30% of their adjusted monthly income towards rent. The landlord gets the remainder of the unit’s monthly rent paid by the local Public Housing Agency (commonly called a housing authority).

Housing authorities manage the Section 8 HCV program, Mainstream Vouchers, and other federal housing programs for their local area.

To learn more about Mainstream Vouchers, start by reviewing the qualifications for a voucher: