The Housing Choice Voucher Program assists very low-income families, the elderly and disabled to afford decent, safe and sanitary housing in the private rental market. As the housing subsidy is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are free to find housing that meets their needs and complies with the requirements of the program.
A family that is issued a Housing Choice Voucher is responsible for finding a housing unit of their choice so long as the landlord is willing to participate in the program. Rental units must meet minimum standards of health and safety as determined by the Housing Authority.
Once a family rents a unit under the program, the housing subsidy is paid directly to the landlord by the Housing Authority on behalf of the participating family. The family pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount that is subsidized by the program.
Eligibility
Eligibility for a Housing Choice Voucher is based on the families' total gross income and family size. In general, the family's income may not exceed 50% of the median income for the community in which the family lives. Median income levels are published by HUD.
During the application process, the Housing Authority will collect information on family income, assets, family composition and will run a background check. The Housing Authority will verify this information with other local agencies, your employer and bank and will use the information to determine program eligibility.
Local Preference
The Housing Authority has established a local preference for selecting applicants from its waiting list. Families that live or work in Fountain, Security or Widefield in El Paso County will qualify for the Housing Authority's local preference.
Application Process
Families may apply for a Housing Choice Voucher when the waiting list is open. The waiting list for a Housing Choice Voucher may be quite long so it is difficult to tell how long a family will wait before receiving a Housing Choice Voucher. It is not uncommon for applicants to wait several years for a Housing Choice Voucher.
Applicants are reminded that submitting an application only places you on the waiting list and does not guarantee that you will receive a Housing Choice Voucher.
Families are selected from the waiting list based on the time and date that a completed application is received and after consideration of whether the family has a local preference.
To check on whether the waiting list is open for applications click Apply Here
Program Administration
Payment Standard
The Housing Authority has adopted a payment standard to cover the cost of rent and utilities or 'gross rent' for a moderately-priced housing unit in the local housing market. The payment standard is used to calculate the amount of housing assistance a family will receive.
Rent Subsidy
The Housing Authority calculates the amount of housing assistance for each participating family. Generally, the participating family pays 30% of its monthly adjusted income for gross rent. If the gross rent for the housing unit is more than the payment standard, the family must pay any additional amount. By law, whenever a family moves into a new unit where the gross rent exceeds the payment standard, the family may not pay more than 40% of their adjusted monthly income for gross rent.
Inspection
The housing unit that is selected by the family must meet an acceptable level of health and safety before the Housing Authority will approve the unit. When a family finds a unit that it wishes to rent and has come to an agreement with the landlord over the lease terms, the Housing Authority will inspect the unit to make sure that it meets minimum housing standards. The Housing Authority will also make a determination that the rent requested by the landlord is reasonable for the local housing market.
Administrative Plan
The Housing Authority has developed an Administrative Plan to govern the operation of the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The Administrative Plan for the Housing Choice voucher Program may be viewed here.
