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Section 8
Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program
The Section 8 HCV program is a federal housing program funded by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for assisting very low-income
families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary
housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of
the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing,
including single family homes, townhouses, and/ or apartments.
The participant
is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is
not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects.
A family that is
issued a housing voucher is responsible for finding a suitable housing unit of
the family's choice where the owner agrees to rent under the program. This unit
may include the family's present residence. Rental units must meet minimum
standards of health and safety, as determined by the City of Miami.
Housing subsidies are paid to landlords directly by the City of Miami on
behalf of participating families. The families then pays the difference between
the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the
program.
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Local Preferences and Waitlist
Since the demand for housing assistance often
exceeds the limited resources available for this
program, long wait periods are common. Therefore, the City of Miami has
established preferences for the elderly and/or the disabled. Families who
qualify for this local preference move ahead of other families on the list who
do not qualify under this preference.
How do
Housing Vouchers work?Once a
family is selected from the City’s Section 8 waitlist, the housing voucher
holder is advised of the unit size for which it is eligible based on family size
and composition.
The housing unit selected by the family must meet an
acceptable level of health and safety before the City can approve the unit. When
the voucher holder finds a unit that it wishes to occupy and reaches an
agreement with the landlord over the lease terms, the City will inspect the
dwelling unit and determine that the rent requested is reasonable. The housing voucher family must pay 30% of its
monthly adjusted gross income for rent and utilities.
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