Ohio Section 8 Housing

Low Income Housing Information

Low income housing can be a godsend, but if you don't know how to apply, or who to get your information to, how can you ever expect to be approved?

Since laws and procedure vary from state to state, you'll need to learn a few specifics before applying. We can help!

What Allows You to Qualify for Section 8 Housing in Ohio?

The Section 8 housing program is a federal housing assistance program designed to help qualifying low income or special needs people get safe and clean housing at an affordable rate. Today, Section 8 is the largest subsidized housing program in the United States and has beneficiaries in all fifty states. The general program is very amendable, allowing it to work with each state's general housing policy, regardless of how comprehensive - or basic - it is. The program basically works by providing vouchers to landlords to offset the balance due of the rent over a certain percentage. As a general rule, Section 8 housing beneficiaries do have to pay at least a portion of their rent.

Although most states have there own comprehensive affordable housing strategies, as well as their own entities meant to realize these strategies, the Section 8 program does not go through state government channels for implementation. On the top end, the program is administrated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This includes the specialized programs that are ostensibly administrated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (the Rural Development program) and the one done through the Department of Veteran's Affairs.

On the local side, the program is administrated by a network of public housing agencies or authorities (PHAs). The PHAs handle all of the basic functioning of the program, from approving new applicants, operating the waiting lists, and dealing with the local property owners. The average person in need of subsidized housing will primarily deal with the PHA, though some of the paperwork will be required by HUD. It is important to note that each PHA has overriding authority in its jurisdiction, so any status or acceptance received from one PHA may not transfer to another PHA.

The basic requirements to qualify for Section 8 housing are applied at the federal level and are uniform, though the local PHAs may add on additional restrictions depending on its mandate and circumstances. The general rule is that to qualify the applicant has to make fifty percent or less of the defined median income for the area in question. HUD regularly compiles the median income levels for every metropolitan area and county in the United States (information that can be found on the HUD website www.hud.gov), so it is easy to determine in advance whether or not anyone qualifies for the program. Further, by law the PHAs are obligated to give seventy-five percent of their vouchers to people making thirty percent or less of the local HUD-determined median income.

To apply for Section 8 housing, the first place to go is to the local PHA who should be able to provide the basic requirements needed for that particular jurisdiction. Just because a person meets the basic requirements for Section 8 housing does not mean that all jurisdictions are open to them, especially those facing shortages and challenges. This is because many PHAs have specific preferences or priorities; for example, some PHAs automatically place families with children ahead of single adults and others give priority to senior citizens. Therefore it is essential to check with the local PHA before assuming that anything will be available.