What are the requirements for Section 8 in Iowa? Section 8 eligibility in Iowa is a combination of several factors, namely meeting all regulations and guidelines set forth at the local, state and federal levels. To meet Section 8 eligibility, applicants must also provide appropriate documentation to the public housing authorities. Some applicants wonder “What do I need to apply for Section 8?” and “Do I qualify for Section 8 housing or am I just wasting my time?” Section 8 eligibility guidelines change based on where an applicant lives.

What Are the Iowa Section 8 Requirements?

Section 8 eligibility has three overarching categories that an applicant must satisfy before the public housing authorities will admit them into the Section 8 low income housing program. The three Section 8 eligibility categories are income, residency and local requirements. In these Section 8 eligibility categories, housing authorities award special preference to households with young children, elderly and disabled family members, as the state considers them to be in greater need.

To qualify for Section 8 eligibility in the state of Iowa, an applicant must earn at or below 50 percent of their area’s median income. Applicants who make at or less than 30 percent of the median income are very low-income households and will be given Section 8 eligibility priority. Each county will set its own Section 8 eligibility requirements, so there is no set median area income for Iowa because certain counties are more affluent than other areas. If an applicant needs to know their area’s median income for the Section 8 eligibility application, they need to get in touch with the public housing authorities. The public housing authorities have a Section 8 eligibility list on hand that details the income thresholds for all 98 counties in Iowa.

What are the requirements for Section 8 in Iowa? In Iowa Section 8 eligibility is contingent upon citizenship requirements. If an applicant is not a United States citizen (or equivalent) and a resident of Iowa, they will not pass the Section 8 eligibility requirements. It is important to note that the residency requirement only applies to the applicant. Any non-resident household members will not affect Section 8 eligibility status for the applicant. Another important Section 8 eligibility requirement is that all rental history must be positive. If an applicant has any history of eviction, damage to a property, late payments or failure to pay, they may ineligible.

If an applicant has a criminal record he or she is still allowed to apply for Section 8 eligibility in the state of Iowa. If an applicant does not have a criminal record but a member of their household does, they must note the occurrence on the Section 8 eligibility application. In the event that the family member with the criminal charges chooses to leave the household, then housing authorities will not evaluate the application on any criminal charges, provided no one else has a criminal record. Having a criminal record does not always mean an applicant will receive a Section 8 eligibility denial letter. The housing authorities will look at each case individually to determine the kind of crime and appraise how recently the crime was committed. There are certain crimes, however, that will warrant an automatic Section 8 eligibility denial letter no matter how long ago the crime occurred. Crimes labeled as sexual in nature and involve methamphetamine manufacturing are automatic disqualifiers.

What are the qualifications for low income housing in Iowa?

What do I need to apply for Section 8 housing in Iowa? The Section 8 eligibility application requires quite a lengthy list of documentation to accompany it. The documentation for Section 8 eligibility verifies the information on the application is correct. If any discrepancies arise between the application and the documentation, then housing authorities will issue a Section 8 eligibility denial letter to the applicant. It is important to make sure that all documentation is accurate. If an applicant is unsure of what documentation they are going to need, they should contact their local public housing agency for a full list. Generally, these types of documents include:

• Proof of residency in the county (utility bill or letter from a shelter)
• Official birth certificates for everyone in the household
• Pay stubs and tax returns (three months’ worth if applicable)
• A listing of current debts and assets
• Identification for everyone living in the home
• A listing of any other government benefits
• Current school transcripts (if applicable)
• Social Security cards for everyone living in the home

Iowa Section 8 eligibility is quite manageable if an applicant does not try and do everything all at once. The first step to answering the question “Do I qualify for Section 8 housing in Iowa?” is to find out the median income amount for an applicant’s area. Section 8 eligibility in Iowa is open to those with incomes less than 80 percent of the area’s average. For example, if the median income in Clarke County is $61,000, applicants with household incomes less than $49,450 may be eligible.