Section 8 Voucher Program
Section 8 is a federal rent subsidy program under the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that provides vouchers to eligible households. The Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV) provides rental assistance to private landlords for approved units selected by the voucher holder. The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers (HACFM) administers 1,755 vouchers in the Lee County jurisdiction.
Applying for a Voucher
A person interested in receiving a Section 8 voucher must begin by applying for the wait list. Section 8 applications are not always available; therefore, an applicant must wait until the list is open. Some key points to this process are the following:
• Section 8 applicants must meet the income limits for their family size
• Section 8 applicants must be 18 years or older
• Local Preferences are given to elderly applicants, disabled households, working families, and victims of a Federally-declared disaster area
• Section 8 applicants must provide proof of legal status, birth certificates, and social security cards
• If applicable, the following court documents are needed: marriage license, divorce decree, and child support court order
Denial of a Voucher
Section 8 applicants may be denied a voucher for:
• Failure to provide the information requested by the HACFM
• Gross annual income exceeds the income limits for the family size
• Terminated by the HACFM's Section 8 Program due to program violations or violation of the Federal Regulations within the past 5 years
• Charged with any felonious criminal activity within the past 5 years regardless of a conviction
• Charged with any drug-related and/or violent criminal activity within the past 5 years
• Owing money to another Public Housing Agency
Approval of a Voucher
An applicant approved for a Housing Choice Voucher must attend an orientation briefing to receive all the required pamphlets, instructions, and Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) form. At this 3-hour briefing, applicants will sign their vouchers. Applicants are given 60-days to locate housing and submit their RFTA's completed by the new prospective landlord and applicant. An applicant may request an extension due to their inability to locate housing in a timely manner or due to extenuating circumstances. Extensions will only be granted for an additional 60-day. Vouchers will NOT be granted for more than 120 days (4 months). Once the voucher has expired, the applicant will be removed from the wait list.
Payment Standards
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Income Limits
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Locating A Rental Unit In Lee County
The voucher holder is responsible to find private housing and submit the RFTA to the housing agency before it expires. In order to facilitate this process, the Section 8 department will provide the applicants with an updated vacancy listing as provided by the landlords. Once the RFTA is submitted, the HACFM will schedule an inspection to determine approval of Housing Quality Standards (HQS). These are some of the criteria used to determine approval.
• The unit must pass HQS inspection
• The rental price must be within the local market prices and meet the rent reasonableness survey
• The family cannot pay more than 40% of their income towards rent
• The family must enter into a 1-year rental lease agreement with landlord and a copy of the lease must be submitted to the HACFM
Housing Authority Inspection
Once the applicant has located a rental unit and submitted the completed RFTA and Questionnaire, the Housing Authority Section 8 department will schedule an inspection of the property to determine acceptability.The HACFM will determine if the unit selected meets HQS requirements and rent reasonableness. The rental unit must also meet minimum city code for the City of Fort Myers. These codes include operable windows, condition of paint & window screens.
Lease-Up and Payment Procedures
Once the unit has passed inspection, the rental amount must be approved by the Section 8 Rental Appraisal Committee (RAC) to make sure it meets rent reasonableness guidelines and the 40% CAP rule. The landlord and tenant must sign a 1-year rental agreement and submit a copy to the Section 8 representative. The Section 8 representative will execute a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Contract with the property owner. The effective dates and rent amounts on the Lease Agreement must match the HAP Contract. Payments will be sent directly to the landlord on the 1st of each month.
