Section 8 requirements in Idaho are set by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, known as the HUD, and are administered by the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, in conjunction with the Idaho Public Housing Authorities (PHAs).
The program is also known as the Public Housing Choice Voucher Program. Section 8 qualifications help to ensure that only those who are legally allowed to receive the benefits do so. Those who typically meet Section 8 eligibility are those individuals, families and/or households that can demonstrate financial need, or those with other circumstances such as disabilities, including disabled veterans, or the elderly.
Section 8 housing eligibility requires all applicants to meet certain criteria, as set forth by HUD guidelines, as well as any rules or regulations imposed by Idaho and/or the Idaho local PHAs. These qualifications include citizenship and immigration requirements, income eligibility, a tenant’s past rental history and any past criminal records on file.
Idahoans who ask, “Do I qualify for low income housing?” when interested in the Section 8 program should begin by learning more about the criteria and definitions associated with the program. For starters, the term ‘family’ carries with it a different meaning than one would normally think.
For HUD housing requirements, family means any individual or group of people who are living together in the same house or apartment.
Those who live together and apply for Section 8 eligibility do not need to have a blood relation, nor must they be connected through any other legal means, such as marriage, in order to receive benefits from the Public Housing Choice Voucher Program. HUD separates families into three distinct categories:
Section 8 qualification means a family is headed by an individual under the age of 62 who is not disabled and can work. For households where the head is age 62 and above, it is considered an elderly household; and for those headed by someone who has a disability, that household is considered disabled.
Section 8 income limits are crucial in determining an applicant’s eligibility for the HUD’s Public Housing Choice Voucher Program. The limits are adjusted each year, and are established by the HUD.
This particular Section 8 requirement does take other factors into account. These other factors include things like the county and state in which the applicant resides, the size of the family or household of which the applicant is the head and the median income for families of that size in that particular locale.
HUD income limits are grouped into three different categories:
Usually, Section 8 requirements only confer HUD benefits from the program to those individuals, or households that can demonstrate income levels that fall into the categories of very-low or extremely-low levels of income.
Section 8 housing eligibility also mandates that those applying for benefits must meet certain criteria in order to receive the funds. Some of these qualifications refer to a person’s residency within the state of Idaho, as well as his or her legal presence in the United States.
Anyone seeking to satisfy requirements for Section 8, and thus obtain benefits through the Public Housing Choice Voucher Program, must demonstrate that they are a United States citizen, either native-born or naturalized or a legal resident alien with a green card or other visa permission.
Meeting Section 8 requirements set by HUD and the PHAs in Idaho include meeting criteria not covered under family composition and income levels. Some Section 8 qualifications have to do with your behavior with regard to your rental history, as well as any police and/or criminal records you may have.
While any infractions or violations may not automatically disqualify you from receiving benefits through the HUD’s Section 8 program, they can make it difficult to be accepted into the program.
The HUD’s Section 8 housing eligibility application procedures include checks into more than just the information you provide to document your identity, citizenship status and income levels. Your history as a renter and tenant will also be reviewed, especially in the public housing sect.
If you have been evicted from public housing in the past, this can damage your chances of meeting HUD housing requirements. In addition to evictions from public housing, if you have any money owed to PHAs in Idaho or in another state, you may be delayed in getting your application processed until that money is paid. Any fraud committed in conjunction with a federal housing program is also cause for Section 8 disqualification.
Section 8 qualifications include a criminal background check, as well. While having a criminal background does not automatically result in a denial, it will make it more difficult. Typically, HUD and local PHAs are more lenient with those who simply have an arrest record, as opposed to a conviction record.
When learning how to qualify for Section 8 housing, note that qualifications may vary slightly from one PHA to another, in this regard. However, even convictions do not mean automatic disqualification, in all cases. A more serious crime, such as a violent crime or a drug-related crime, certainly will decrease your chances of approval.
Any criminal conviction that is sexual in nature is an automatic disqualification, and those with sex crime convictions are not permitted to receive any benefits from federal housing programs, such as Section 8.
To contact your Idaho HUD office, click here.