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The Florida Section 8 housing program maintains and manages approximately 40,000 low income house rentals throughout the state. Another 100,000 housing vouchers are issued to Section 8 participants to secure low income housing through the private sector. The FL Section 8 program operates both tenant-based and project-based programs. Both utilize the housing choice voucher system. Guidelines are mandated on the federal level by the HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) and managed locally by 82 public housing authority agencies in all 65 Florida counties. The local Florida Section 8 housing programs exist to assist families in need to find affordable and decent housing.

The Miami Dade County housing authority has the largest Section 8 housing program in the state of Florida. The HUD distributes low income housing funding to individual states. Then local housing authority agencies in the state play an operational role within their county of service providing Section 8 applications, determining eligibility for low income house rentals, and maintaining waiting lists. New Section 8 applicants can apply to any FL county’s housing authority, but upon qualification they must be living in the county where they were accepted for at least five months before they can receive benefits.

Tenant-based Section 8 programs differ from project-based programs in several ways. Tenant-based Section 8 housing offers renters the ability to work within the private sector to secure low income housing that suits their family’s needs. Housing vouchers, therefore, are tied to the family, not the property. Tenant-based Section 8 programs, in some counties, also allow the family to petition for their own home, or for their current rental home to be added to the Section 8 approved list, which means that they may be able to remain in their current residence. Meanwhile, project-based low income housing programs in Florida are tied specifically to a rental unit, usually considered a public housing project. Once a renter determines they want to move, the vouchers do not transfer with them, and they may have to reapply for assistance.

Some FL Section 8 housing applicants will opt for project-based programs because there is typically less out-of-pocket cost each month for rent. For this reason, project-based programs tend to be in higher demand. With these types of Section 8 housing programs, the renter is expected to pay around 30 percent of their income toward rent. Once an applicant is considered Section 8 eligible in Florida, the housing authority in his or her area will work directly with the landlord to provide vouchers. In the meantime, approved applicants are placed on the waiting list until vacancies arise.

Qualifying for Section 8 housing in Florida is largely based on income. Applicants must make less than the average annual salary of those living around them. This average salary for each area, called the median salary, is listed online for reference. Most Florida housing authority agencies require that the Section 8 applicant make about 80 percent of what others in his or her area make, on average. Very low income levels are considered those families who only make 30 to 50 percent of what others around them make annually, on average. Additional Section 8 qualifying criteria exist beyond just income, however.

Learn About Requirements for Section 8 in Florida

Section 8 eligibility in Florida and its 65 counties is governed by a set of guidelines mandated by the HUD on the federal level. Mandates and guidelines for FL Section 8 eligibility can also exist on the local level housing authorities, which have the autonomy to place additional limitations, exclusions, or conditions on the extension of benefits. What are the qualifications for low income housing in Florida’s counties? The main Section 8 eligibility requirement for all 82 housing authority agencies in FL is that of income. An applicant in any Florida county must make much less than the average of those living around them in order to qualify. This accounts for the fluctuation in Section 8 eligibility from one county to the next, as median salary ranges vary from one area to the next. For a listing of median salary ranges by county or area, lists exist online. However, Section 8 eligibility in Florida takes more than just income into consideration.

Learn How to Apply for Section 8 in Florida

Section 8 housing in Florida is managed by 82 different housing authority agencies across 62 counties in Florida. To register for Section 8 housing in Florida, applicants must become familiar with their local housing authorities. Interested parties who research how to sign up for Section 8 will recognize that it can be done by visiting a local Housing Authority office. HUD Section 8 applications will only be accepted at housing authority agencies with open waiting lists. The internet can provide listings of nearby housing authority locations, where written HUD Section 8 applications need to be submitted. The online application for low income housing in FL is another option available when deciding to apply for Section 8. Assistance in filling out either application-written or online-is available at all housing authority offices. Likewise, help in completing the forms is available for no fee. Anyone being offered a HUD Section 8 application for a fee should report the incident to the HUD.

Learn About Section 8 Waiting Lists in Florida

Low income households and individuals throughout Florida can apply for subsidized housing through their local housing authority. If they qualify, applicants are added to the Section 8 housing program application waiting list for the area in which they submitted their application. All Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) of Florida maintain waiting lists that are used to allocate low income housing to qualified residents. Applications for Section 8 are only accepted when the waiting lists are open. PHAs open and close their low income housing waiting lists depending on the resources they have to allocate public housing to the applicants. First-time applicants in Florida are likely to ask, “When will the Section 8 waiting lists open?” however, there is no specific schedule. Instead, applicants can regularly check with their local PHAs to inquire if the Section 8 housing waiting list 2017 is open in order for them to apply.

Learn About Section 8 Denial in Florida

Receiving a Section 8 denial letters in Florida can be discouraging because it likely signals the fact that the applicant will not be receiving housing assistance. However, this is not necessarily the case. What are the reasons for Section 8 denial in FL? The Section 8 denial letter is sent by the public housing authority to let applicants know that there is a problem with their application or they are ineligible to receive assistance. Section 8 housing disqualifications are specifically listed in the denial letter, and in many instances, the applicant can learn how to appeal Section 8 denial to correct those issues. FL Section 8 denial appeals provide rejected applicants with the opportunity to argue their case.