The Section 8 Rental Assistance program was established as part of the Federal Housing Act in 1976 and is operated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It was designed to help needy families pay their rent. Eligible families and individuals receive rent subsidies called Housing Choice Vouchers.

The Program provides subsidies based on a formula, which calculates the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Tenant Share. The Tenant Share must be no less than 30% of their monthly-adjusted income and no more than 40% of their monthly-adjusted income.

Westchester County has taken a special initiative to operate a Section 8 program in order to help residents of those Westchester communities who do not have such a program.

Because County governments are not permitted to receive funds directly from HUD for Section 8, the County in 1977 established a special relationship with the State of New York Division of Housing and Community Renewal to serve as program administrator. Westchester County is one of 46 counties in New York operating a program. In Westchester County, sixteen (16) municipalities also operate local Section 8 programs.

To qualify for a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, applicants must be within the household income levels established by HUD, based on family size. At the present time, applicants must be within the very low level, or 50% of the Westchester County median income level, as follows:

The current Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are established by HUD and are adjusted each year. As of October 2005, the FMRs are as follows:

Voucher Payment Standards are the basis for rental subsidy assistance for those participants choosing rental vouchers. As of October 1, 2005, the Voucher Payment Standards are as follows:

The federal government allow four different types of preferences to place applicants on waiting lists.

• Single Over Singles Preference: a preference for admission of single persons who are age 62 or older, displaced, homeless, or a person with disabilities over other singles.
   

• Local Preferences: established by this program for the following categories or persons:

a)   Displaced households due to locally declared disaster. Preference will be given only by request and approval of local Section 8 Administrator (if applicable) and municipality. Households must be certified Section 8 income eligible.

b)   Homeless, working households receiving public assistance confirmed by the Westchester County Department of Social Services DSS.

c)   Homeless households with disabled head of household in receipt of SSI, SSD, SSA and/or determined by DSS to be unemployable or temporarily unemployable. Confirmed by DSS.

d)   Rent burdened households paying 50% of their gross monthly income towards rent.

e)   Involuntarily displaced households who are not living in standard permanent replacement housing; or who will be involuntarily displaced within no more than six months from the date of preference status certification.

f)   Households living in substandard housing.

Applicants are served on a first-come first-served basis, taking into consideration all of the above preferences.

WHAT IS THE FAMILY SELF SUFFICIENCY (“FSS”) PROGRAM?

The Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS) works with a limited number of Section 8 families helping them become economically independent by linking them to services, education and training programs which will enable a family to support itself without government assistance -- other than for housing.

Any family with a Westchester County Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher is eligible to apply for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program. There is a limited enrollment in the program; but interested families are placed on a waiting list for the program.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING
SECTION 8 OFFICE
112 EAST POST ROAD, ROOM 102
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK 10601
(914) 995-2415

Revised: 03/06

 Housing and Community Development Division

 Section 8 Rental Assistance
112 East Post Road, Room 102
White Plains, New York 10601 Telephone:(914) 995-2415  TDD#: (914) 682-3408  Website: westchestergov.com