The West Virginia Section 8 program offers secure, decent and affordable housing to low income families, persons with disabilities, the elderly and displaced people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) maintains this WV low income housing program at the federal level. However, low income house rentals in West Virginia are administered and managed on the local levels by the public housing authorities. The West Virginia Section 8 housing program is active in all 48 counties within the state, and 34 housing authorities administer the program. The largest housing authority in WV is the Charleston housing authority, which has more than four thousand managed rental units.
Participants in the West Virginia Section 8 program must go through a rigorous vetting program, beginning with a pre-application, in order to receive a housing choice voucher that they can use for rental assistance. Applicants then complete a WV HUD application for Section 8 housing. Lastly, petitioners must produce documentation that provides evidence for the information claimed on the HUD application. Candidates eligible for low income housing in West Virginia do not directly receive the housing choice vouchers. Instead, the WV housing authority gives the voucher to the landlord on the Section 8 participant’s behalf.
To determine eligibility, West Virginia Section 8 applicants should start with an examination of their family’s combined income, as both HUD and the local housing authority set income limits. WV Section 8 income requirements state that a family must not make more than the average salary of those living around them. For example, if the median income of an area is $56,000, the Section 8 applicant must make no more than 80 percent of that amount. HUD categorizes those making 30-50 percent lower as “very low income,” and gives these families a priority status when applying.
Both West Virginia Section 8 housing programs, tenant-based and project-based, utilize the Section 8 housing voucher system. The difference between the two programs is in the way that funding is disbursed and utilized. In the tenant-based program, the funding is tied directly to the qualifying family, which allows the family to select low income house rentals from the private sector. Many participants in WV low income housing are able to use the tenant-based program to remain in their current home. The project- based Section 8 program ties the money directly to a qualifying rental unit, such as a building with public housing apartments. If the household moves from a project-based rental, the vouchers do not move with them. The public housing rentals tend to be less expensive than the private sector rentals.
Learn the Requirements for Section 8 in West Virginia
When an applicant is considering Section 8 eligibility in West Virginia, he or she may have a few important questions. “What are the qualifications for low income housing in West Virginia?” many Section 8 candidates ask. Eligibility for Section 8 housing is comprised of three main criteria: the income minimum, residency requirements and a qualifying background check. Candidates who fail to meet all three WV Section 8 eligibility requirements will not be eligible for low income housing. Additionally, some local housing authorities may have unique requirements for Section 8 housing.
Learn How to Apply for Section 8 in West Virginia
To learn how to apply for Section 8 housing in West Virginia, petitioners may plan to take some time to find out what types of documentation will be required, and then spend time gathering the required information. Once the applicant has the required documentation and information, he or she can begin the Section 8 application process. By completing a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 application in WV through one of the local Public Housing Authority (PHA) offices located in the state, eligible residents can be placed on a Section 8 waiting list and ultimately benefit from housing assistance.
Learn About Section 8 Waiting Lists in West Virginia
A West Virginia Section 8 housing program application waiting list is where most Section 8 applications will remain for some time. The low income housing waiting list in WV is a necessary part of the Section 8 application process, since there are often not enough rental units to meet the number of applications for Section 8 housing. Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) continuously maintain and update these local waiting lists in order to provide Section 8 rental assistance to eligible candidates. Applicants who are on the Section 8 housing waiting list 2017 in West Virginia and wish to know their position on the list have several ways to find more details.
Learn About Section 8 Denial in West Virginia
What are the reasons for Section 8 denial? The WV Section 8 housing authorities have many different reasons for denying an applicant from participating in the state’s Section 8 housing program. Examples of Section 8 housing disqualifications in West Virginia include an applicant’s excessive household income, criminal background or incomplete application form. Section 8 housing disqualifications in WV can also happen after a household begins participating in the program. However, an applicant can begin the West Virginia Section 8 denial appeal process if he or she disagrees with the ruling from the Public Housing Agency (PHA).