RoxanneAsk most people what would greatly help them balance their budget, and many would say paying less for rent. How can you pay less for rent? You could downgrade your apartment or home, get a roommate, work a second job, and so on. Or you could get housing assistance from the government via a voucher, which is likely the ideal option.
While you’ll need to be within certain income limits and have citizenship to qualify for Section 8, we’ll discuss other obstacles that can keep you from getting a voucher. Beyond that, we’ll also discuss how you can lose your voucher, which will increase your rent cost once again.
Obstacles That Can Prevent You From Getting a Housing Voucher
Being approved for a Section 8 voucher is just part of the process. Once approved, you’ll need to find a property where you can use your voucher. Unlike other housing assistance programs, this will be private property owned by a landlord. You’ll need to pass their requirements to move in.
What will a landlord look at when screening you as a potential tenant? Here are some factors that can be seen as red flags:
- Not enough references from past landlords.
- Lacking income to pay your portion of the rent, even though your voucher will help.
- Poor credit history.
- Felony convictions.
- Prior evictions.
All of those are deemed reasonable standards landlords can use to approve or reject you as a tenant. If you believe a landlord rejected you for some other reason, you may be the victim of housing discrimination, which is illegal. If that’s the case, contact your Public Housing Agency (PHA) and let them know.
Even if the landlord approves you, something else will need approval: The property. Section 8 has standards for safety and affordability. The property will be inspected to ensure it’s safe and up to code, but it must also be affordable compared to similar real estate in the area. If the inspection fails or the property is too expensive, that could keep you from using your voucher.
Although Section 8 will pay a portion of your rent with a voucher, it won’t cover any application fees charged by a landlord. It also won’t cover a security deposit, so if you lack savings for those costs, you may have trouble moving into a Section 8 property.
Violations That Can Lead You To Lose Your Voucher
If you succeed in getting a voucher and moving into an approved property, you’ll need to obey rules from your landlord and Section 8 to maintain your housing assistance.
Violations that can cause you to forfeit your voucher include:
- Not paying your portion of the rent.
- Causing disturbances.
- Damaging the unit.
- Violent or drug-related criminal activity.
- Not reporting changes in your household size in writing.
- Hiding income earned by adults in the household.
- Not abiding by the terms of the lease.
- Eviction.
Your PHA can terminate your voucher for any of the above. If that happens, you’ll get an official letter of termination in the mail. You can respond by requesting an informal hearing regarding the decision, but it’s best not to commit the violations in the first place since Section 8 can be a major boost to your budget.
