The Housing Choice Voucher Program / Section 8, allows eligible families to select housing of their own choice in their chosen neighborhood. When a prospective unit is found, the rent must be reasonable relative to comparable market rate housing in the area, and the apartment must meet Housing Quality Standards (HQS) set by HUD. A family will typically pay approximately 30% of their adjusted monthly gross income towards the approved rental amount for the unit. However, a family cannot pay more than 40% of income when initially moving to a new unit.
Section 8 participants are required by federal law to submit household income documentation each year to determine continued eligibility in the program. This process is called the recertification or the annual review.
An annual apartment inspection is conducted by inspectors on all units to ensure compliance with HUD’s Housing Quality Standards (HQS).
For a FREE listing of available housing in New Jersey, go to www.njhousing.gov.