Housing assistance is tied to
the physical apartment unit. For as long as a person resides
in a Section 8 unit, he or she will pay no more than 30% of
their adjusted gross income toward rent. The remainder (the
difference between what the tenant pays and the actual rent
amount) is paid by the Federal government. When a family
moves out of a project-based Section 8 unit, the rental
subsidy does not move with them, but is available for the
next tenants of that unit. Section 8 developments are
privately-owned, and maintain their own waiting lists.
When the federal government
falls short in funding, the IHDA continues to work with
local housing authorities to convert tenant-based voucher
into project-based units.
