Applying for Section 8 Housing

** WE HAVE CHANGED OUR WAITING LIST APPLICATIONS PROCESS **

2023 Income Table

Income Limits Persons in Family
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Very Low $27,450 $31,400 $35,300 $39,200 $42,350 $45,500 $48,650 $51,7500
Extremely Low $16,450 $19,720 $24,860 $30,000 $35,140 $40,280 $45,420 $50,560
Low $43,900 $50,200 $56,450 $62,700 $67,750 $72,750 $77,750 $82,800

The Housing Choice Voucher Process

In order to receive Housing Assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, a household must fill out CMHA’s online Pre-Application form when the Waiting List is open. Due to the limited number of vouchers available, the HCV waiting list will only be open during specific periods and only for short periods at a time; only when this list is open will Pre-Applications be accepted. Once the waiting list has closed, those households who have completed a Pre-Application will be eligible for CMHA’s lottery drawing. This computer-generated lottery will randomly select a pre-determined number of households from those who have applied and place them onto a waiting list in random order from which they will be called in to determine final eligibility and, if eligible, receive a voucher. Using a computer-generated lottery will allow the waiting list to open more frequently and cut down on long wait times. Once the lottery has been completed and families placed on the waiting list, all families will be notified about their status on the waiting list. Those families not placed on the waiting list will be encouraged to apply again when the waiting list reopens. The families who have been placed on the waiting list will then be called in in the random order in which they were placed on the list.

Updating Your Waiting List Pre-Application Form

Remember it is your responsibility to keep the Waiting List information current at all times. If you fail to report a new address or other changes, we may not be able to contact you when your name is pulled from the Waiting List. Please note that CMHA will contact all applicants by mail.

Mail any changes in your contact information to CMHA, 178 W. 4th St Chillicothe, OH 45601 OR you can drop off the information in person during regular business hours OR use the Drop Box located outside our main door at the office.

After You Apply

When a family is called in off of the waiting list, the family will first come to a final eligibility screening. This appointment allows the CMHA to determine if the family’s income meets HUD’s guideline’s for participation, to verify residency status of each family member and his or her Social Security number, to have all adult members of the household sign and submit consent forms, and to ensure adult family members do not have criminal records which would keep them from being eligible for receiving housing assistance. It also allows the Housing Authority to make sure the family does not owe a balance to this Housing Authority, or to any other Housing Authority. Families who owe a balance to a Housing Authority are not eligible to receive housing assistance until that balance is paid.

The next step in the housing process is the briefing. After a family has been determined to be eligible for the Housing Choice Voucher program, they must come in for a briefing where they receive more information about the program and about searching for housing. It is also at this appointment that the family receives a voucher and personalized budget, and is finally considered fully eligible for housing assistance and can begin the housing search. Families will have 60 days to search for housing with the option for a one-time 60 day extension. They may look at homes all throughout Ross County until they find the home that suits their individual needs. Once they have selected a home, the family will turn in a Request for Tenancy Approval, allowing the home to be inspected for suitability.

Once a Request for Tenancy Approval has been received by the Housing Authority, the amount of rent and the breakdown of utilities will be examined to make sure the family’s income can support the unit. If the unit meets HUD’s criteria of affordability, it will be scheduled for a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection. The HQS inspection allows an inspector to check the home to ensure it is safe and decent. The inspector looks at such things as the safety of the outlets in the home, the risk of lead exposure to young children and expectant mothers, and checks to make sure the utilities work properly. The HQS inspection is vital to the leasing process and a home cannot be approved for rental assistance until the inspection has passed.

After the inspection has passed, the home has been determined to be affordable, and the Housing Authority has compared the rent of the unit to other units in the area that are similar in size and features, families will sign a new lease with the owner and owners will sign a contract with the Housing Authority; then the housing assistance begins! Families will pay between 30 and 40 percent of their monthly income toward rent and utilities, and the rental assistance pays the difference, with rent being paid directly to the landlord.

From this point on, it is the families’ responsibility to report any changes to their households. Families must report any changes to income – increases or decreases – and must report any changes in household composition in writing within ten (10) calendar days of the change. These changes may have an effect of the amount of rent the family must pay and it can be fraud if the family and/or result in the family owing the Housing Authority a balance if these changes are not reported properly. Families and landlords will be notified of any changes in rent in writing as soon as the change is complete. Families will also be required to attend an annual appointment to update their files, and have an annual HQS inspection to ensure the continued quality of their housing.