Welcome

Thank you for visiting the Assisted Housing Department where you will find information about the Housing Choice Voucher Program. Currently the waitlist to receive Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) is closed and will NOT be accepting applications until further notice.

What Is The Section 8 Program?

The Section 8 Program is a federal rent subsidy that assists low-income households with monthly rental payments.

 

How Does Section 8 Work?

The Authority administers funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and distributes them in the form of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers to eligible families and individuals. A voucher allows program participants to rent housing that meets their needs at a price they can afford.

 

How Does A Section 8 Voucher Work?

All eligible families are required to pay at least 30 percent (but no more than 40 percent initially) of their monthly-adjusted income toward rent directly to the landlord. The Lakeland Housing Authority pays the landlord the difference between the Contract Rent and the tenant’s portion. A tenant must find housing within 120 days or risk losing the voucher.

 

How Is An Eligible Section 8 Program Participant Selected?

The Lakeland Housing Authority reviews the eligibility of the participant(s) based on household income and family composition. The landlord is responsible for screening the occupants for the rental unit and must follow federal, state and local equal opportunity laws.

 

Does The Landlord Property Have To Be Inspected?

Yes. When you submit the request for tenancy approval, you will also request that a Housing Quality Standards (H.Q.S.) inspection be performed. This inspection is required to make sure that the unit meets the housing quality standards set by HUD and the Lakeland Housing Authority, before the subsidy can begin. If there are any failed items discovered during the inspection, you will be notified in writing what they are. You will be given a deadline to make the repairs. The subsidy will not begin until the unit meets all of the H.Q.S. requirements, and no retroactive payments may be made for the time period before the unit passes inspection.

 

When Can A Landlord Expect To Receive Full Rent For The Section 8 Unit?

Once the unit has passed the H.Q.S. inspection, the final steps will be the signing of the Housing Assistance Payments Contract. After the case documents have been reviewed and processed you will receive a contract from us stating what the tenant will be responsible for paying, and what the amount of the subsidy that we will be responsible for paying. The owner must provide a copy of the signed lease and must attach the Section 8 addendum to the lease. The participant is expected to pay his or her portion of the rent directly to the landlord by the first of each month, as stated in the lease. The Lakeland Housing Authority portion of the rent will be mailed directly to the landlord during the first week of each month.