There is a harsher punishment for HCV tenants who were evicted for non-payment while using their voucher to help pay rent.
If you receive a court-ordered eviction, you may lose your voucher. HCV tenants who lose their voucher this way will not be allowed back on the HCV program for up to five years.
To help avoid eviction, it’s important to report any loss of income, no matter how small.
For example - A HCV tenant was getting $30 dollars a week in child support. That payment stopped when the payer lost their job. The tenant should report that loss immediately.
Contact your caseworker to adjust your income calculation, and lower your portion of the rent.
Report any loss of income to your landlord or apartment manager. Let them know about any situation that would affect your ability to pay your portion of the rent.
If you owe back rent and your landlord is threatening eviction, report this to your caseworker immediately. Some caseworkers might be able to negotiate a payment plan for you. Some caseworkers might not have the time or resources to help you, but you need to let your Public Housing Authority know what is going on.
Wait until you have a Section 8 voucher to find housing.
It usually takes months or years to reach the top of a Section 8 HCV waiting list. Any apartments you see now will likely not be available when you get your voucher.Kimberly Leighton says:
"I rely on Affordable Housing Online to keep me aware of housing opportunities that I would otherwise have no clue exist."