The Housing Choice Voucher Program /
Section 8, allows families to select housing of their own choice
in their chosen neighborhood. When a prospective apartment is
found, the rent must be reasonable relative to comparable market
rate housing in the area, and the apartment must meet Housing
Quality Standards (HQS) set by HUD. A family may choose a unit
with a higher rent than the maximum limit allowed for subsidy
(known as the payment standard) and pay the owner the
difference. However, a family cannot pay more than 40% of income
when initially moving to a new unit.
Section 8 participants are required by federal law to submit
household income documentation each year to determine continued
eligibility in the program. This process is called the
recertification or the annual review.
An annual apartment inspection is conducted by NYCHA
inspectors on all apartments to ensure compliance with HUD’s
Housing Quality Standards (HQS).
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