United States Benefit

Housing Choice Voucher Program

Also known as: Section 8, HCV

The Housing Choice Voucher Program helps very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled afford decent, safe housing in the private market.

At a Glance

  • Family income must not exceed 50% of the area median income.75% of vouchers must go to families a...
  • At least one family member must be a U.S. citizen, national,or eligible immigrant.
  • Must meet HUD definition of "family."
  • Cannot have been evicted from federally assisted housingfor drug-related activity in the past 3 y...
  • + 1 more requirements below

Eligibility Requirements

Income Limit

Required

Family income must not exceed 50% of the area median income.75% of vouchers must go to families at or below 30% AMI.

household_income_ami 50 percent

Citizenship/Immigration

Required

At least one family member must be a U.S. citizen, national,or eligible immigrant.

citizenship_status in [us_citizen, us_national, eligible_immigrant]

Family Composition

Required

Must meet HUD definition of "family."

household_type in [family_with_children, elderly_head, disabled_head, single_person, remaining_family_member]

No Drug-Related Eviction

Required

Cannot have been evicted from federally assisted housingfor drug-related activity in the past 3 years.

evicted_for_drugs_3_years = false

Background Screening

Required

Must pass the local Public Housing Authority's screeningcriteria (criminal background, rental history, etc.).

passes_pha_screening = true

Ruleset effective: 2024-01-01

View as JSON
{"service_id":"section-8","effective_date":"2024-01-01","rules":[{"id":"income-limit","key":"household_income_ami","operator":"less_than_or_equal","value":50,"unit":"percent","requirement":"required","label":"Income Limit","description":"Family income must not exceed 50% of the area median income.\n75% of vouchers must go to families at or below 30% AMI.\n","source_url":"https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/hcv/about/fact_sheet"},{"id":"citizenship","key":"citizenship_status","operator":"in","values":["us_citizen","us_national","eligible_immigrant"],"requirement":"required","label":"Citizenship/Immigration","description":"At least one family member must be a U.S. citizen, national,\nor eligible immigrant.\n"},{"id":"family-composition","key":"household_type","operator":"in","values":["family_with_children","elderly_head","disabled_head","single_person","remaining_family_member"],"requirement":"required","label":"Family Composition","description":"Must meet HUD definition of \"family.\""},{"id":"not-evicted-drugs","key":"evicted_for_drugs_3_years","operator":"equals","value":false,"requirement":"required","label":"No Drug-Related Eviction","description":"Cannot have been evicted from federally assisted housing\nfor drug-related activity in the past 3 years.\n"},{"id":"background-check","key":"passes_pha_screening","operator":"equals","value":true,"requirement":"required","label":"Background Screening","description":"Must pass the local Public Housing Authority's screening\ncriteria (criminal background, rental history, etc.).\n"}]}

Quick Info

Agency
HUD
Category
Housing
Last Verified
2026-01-13

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Apply for Housing Choice Voucher Program