Housing Choice Voucher Program
The Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly referred to as Section
8) is a federally funded program that helps families pay their rent.
Families are able to select a unit of their choice in the private
rental market. The United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development funds the program nationally while the Housing Authority
of the City of Austin administers the program locally. Currently,
the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is closed. There are roughly
6,000 families and individuals on the waiting list. Each month approximately
30 to 40 of those families receive new vouchers, which are open as
a result of client turnover.
The HCV Department's primary goal is to give eligible families an
opportunity to afford quality housing in the private rental market.
Families pay approximately 30 percent of their monthly-adjusted gross
income toward rent, and the program pays the balance directly to
the landlord. In addition, HACA ensures that property owners enforce
the lease and that tenants and property owners maintain the property
and comply with program rules. HACA fairly enforces any program violations
and encourages concerned citizens to provide detailed written complaints
to assist with investigations.
The HCV Program is managed with an emphasis on efficient customer
service to provide quality housing to the maximum number of eligible
Austin families. Since February 1997, the program has increased in
size from 2,203 to 5,023 vouchers. The program’s success in
quickly leasing vouchers is attributed to an efficient admissions
process and a dedicated staff. The HCV Department’s success
in managing a rapidly growing program earned the housing authority
high marks from HUD’s annual Section 8 Management Assessment
Program evaluation. HACA was rated a high performer, scoring 104
percent on the 2004 SEMAP evaluation.
HACA has an active Landlord Outreach Program, which serves to attract
new properties to the program. Various methods such as mail-outs,
cold calls, monthly informational seminars and property visits are
used to bring more exposure and awareness of the benefits of renting
to HCV families. HACA has taken an active interest in the area of
landlord education and hosts landlord educational seminars in addition
to mailing informative quarterly newsletters to all HCV landlords.
