Application Instructions for Vermont Section 8
Step 1
Are you having trouble finding a safe and affordable place to live in Vermont? Thankfully you can turn to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Vermont Section 8 services. The Section 8 programs are administered locally in Vermont by public housing authorities (PHA), which are managed by the Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA). For Vermont residents the following Section 8 programs are currently available for applicants:
- Project-based Voucher program
- Moderate Rehabilitation program
- Shelter Plus Care program
- Mainstream Housing program
- Section 8 Existing Housing Choice Voucher program
The Project-based Voucher program provides public housing facilities for renters. This is the program for households that are homeless or involuntarily displaced. An affiliated program with the Project-based Voucher program is the Moderate Rehabilitation program. This program provides homeless households, veterans, or previously institutionalized individuals with housing assistance. Each of these programs provides a housing unit that comes with a preset rate for rent. You are applying for the rental unit, and not for a subsidy. Therefore, if you leave your unit you will have to reapply for services.
The Shelter Plus Care program provides homeless people with disabilities with housing assistance. These individuals are given supportive services, in addition to public housing, and recipients can include elderly individuals. The Mainstream Housing program offers housing units for disabled families that are not elderly.
The Existing Housing Choice Voucher program allows families and individuals to live in their existing rental property, while receiving financial aid for rent. This program gives households the freedom to choose where they want to live, and they can move into other PHA areas within Vermont. The Housing Choice Voucher program provides a rental subsidy paid directly to the landlord. The privately-owned rental property can include most any type of housing, i.e. apartments, townhomes, condos, single-family homes, etc., as long as the housing meets HUD and VSHA standards of living. With this subsidy you are not going to pay more than 30 percent of your income on housing.
To apply to any of these programs you must first qualify. Find out the process required to qualify for Vermont Section 8 services.
Who can Qualify for Section 8?
Qualify for Vermont Section 8 by reviewing your household income. It must not exceed the Vermont statewide income limits for a low-income household based on your household size. If your household meets the very low- or extremely low-income limits, this will not give you priority for housing. However, it will lower the amount of the rent expected to be paid by your household. For example, for HCV recipients a lower income will increase the amount of your monthly subsidy.
You must also meet HUD guidelines for your household in order to apply for Vermont Section 8, which are as follows:
- The applying household member must be at least 18 years old.
- All members of your household must be in the US legally, i.e. US citizen or naturalized permanent resident.
- Everyone must submit to and pass a criminal background check.
- Your household must have a good rental history with your current and previous landlords.
If you meet these basic requirements then you are welcomed to apply for Vermont Section 8. However, it does not mean you will be accepted once you apply. The best way to ensure a positive outcome is to apply and provide everything requested of you during the application process. This includes proof of identification and residency status, as well as income verification. Additionally, if you have a family member who is elderly and/or disabled you must receive priority processing of your application for Vermont Section 8 services.
How to Apply
Apply for Section 8 in Vermont by getting an application from a public housing authority. The application will require you to provide documents and information that must be included before your application will be processed. At that point you will be placed on a waitlist. Currently in Vermont, the waitlists that are open for the Housing Choice Voucher program includes six waitlists. Additionally, there are eight waitlists for public housing, all of which are currently open to applicants.
Once you are placed on a waitlist you may wait for a while, often years, before your name is chosen. In the meantime you can search for affordable housing in Vermont in case you do not get approved. Notice that these housing options are for low-income households but not all require Section 8 assistance. However, the list also includes more than 11,000 HUD approved apartments that would be approved for Section 8 HCV recipients.
To request more info about Vermont Section 8 programs contact the HUD Burlington Field Office.