Definition
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is the primary rental assistance program administered by HUD. Under the Section 8 HCV program, a family or individual can apply to a Public Housing Authority (PHA) for rental assistance (called a "voucher") that would enable them to afford a privately-owned apartment of their choice within the PHA's jurisdiction. The vouchers are usually tenant-based and therefore if a household chooses to move after a period of time, they may do so without losing their assistance. Households pay approximately 30 percent — and no more than 40 percent — of their adjusted income for rent and utilities, and the PHA pays the balance of the rent directly to the owner.
Eligibility for the Section 8 HCV program is limited to applicants with incomes below 50% of the Area Median Income, although most of the vouchers assist households earning much less than that. Households receiving a voucher from a PHA must locate a unit that meets HUD's Housing Quality Standards, are within the PHA's jurisdiction, and has reasonable rent by local market standards.
The modern Housing Choice Voucher program, created in 1998, is a combination of two programs that were called the Section 8 certificate and the Section 8 voucher programs, created in 1974 and 1983 respectively. In addition to its conventional Section 8 vouchers for any low-income household, PHAs may have applied to HUD for additional HCV vouchers targeted to a specific population.
