Voucher Program

Program Description
Under the Section 8 Rental Voucher Program, BCHA issues a voucher to an income-qualified household, which then finds a unit to rent.  Since the rental assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find and lease privately owned housing, including single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments.  The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects. 

If the unit meets the Section 8 health and safety standards, the housing authority then pays the landlord the amount equal to the difference between 30 percent of the tenant's adjusted income (or 10 percent of the gross income) and the housing authority determined payment standard for the area.  The rent must be reasonable compared with similar unassisted units. 

Eligibility
Eligibility for a rental voucher is based on annual gross income and family size and is limited to U.S. citizens and specified categories of non-citizens who have eligible immigration status.  Please refer to the table below.

Application
Since the demand for housing often exceeds the number of vouchers issued to BCHA by HUD, there is a waiting list, which at the present time is closed. Once on the waiting list, long waiting periods are common. BCHA will advertise the opening of the next waiting list in the newspaper and on this website.