In general the Maine  Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program is a tenant-based rental assistance program under which an eligible program participant pays 30 percent of his or her monthly adjusted income toward the rent, and U.S. HUD pays the remainder. Once the participant finds a housing unit he or she would like to rent, Housing Authority must approve the rent and then inspect the unit. After the unit passes inspection, the participant can move in. If the tenant wants to move, he or she may do so after the first year in the unit.