Housing Choice Voucher

(Section 8)

About the HCV Program

The BHA’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program allows low-income families to rent quality housing in the private market via federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Through the HCV Program, BHA pays a portion of eligible families’ rent each month directly to the landlord. Families can use their vouchers to rent a house or apartment in the private market throughout Monroe County. Because there are more families who need rental assistance than there are funds available, BHA uses a waiting list to administer the program to eligible families.

The following steps summarize the process to become a HCV family:

1

Apply and Interview

2

Attend a voucher briefing

3

Use your voucher

Click here to learn how to identify and avoid Section 8 voucher scams.

4

Await inspection results

5

Sign the lease

6

Move in, pay rent and utilities

7

Comply with HUD and BHA’s rules and regulations

How to Report Changes and Online Re-certification, Application Update Forms

Click here to access all available online forms for HCV Program.

To report any changes, increase or decrease, you must complete an interim change form that is available online by clicking here.

You may also obtain and complete the interim change form at the entrance of the BHA main office. Changes to income and/or family composition must be reported in writing within fourteen calendar days of the occurrence. If you experience a loss of income or begin working, an interim change form must be completed within fourteen calendar days from the hire date.

If you need to complete and submit your annual renewal/re-certification forms electronically, you may access the form by clicking here. Once completed, you may save the document to your computer, tablet, or smartphone and then email the document to your case manager. Click here for the BHA staff email directory. If you are completing the form using your smartphone, it is recommended that you use the Adobe Fill and Sign app available for free from the Google Play Store and/or Apple App Store.

For electronic application updates, please click here.

How to Apply

Applications for the HCV Program (Section 8) can be submitted online when the waitlist is open. Check the status of the HCV application and waitlist by clicking here. We ask that you read the application process instructions before submitting an application. Applications with missing or falsified information may be denied.

If you are a person with disabilities and require a reasonable accommodation in order to fully access BHA’s programs and services, please contact us at 812.339.3491.

How the Program Works

The BHA’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program allows low-income families to rent quality housing in the private market via federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Through the HCV Program, BHA pays a portion of eligible families’ rent each month directly to the landlord. Families can use their vouchers to rent a house or apartment in the private market throughout Monroe County. Because there are more families who need rental assistance than there are funds available, BHA uses a waiting list to administer the program to eligible families. The following steps summarize the process to become a HCV family:

Apply by submitting pre-application
Upon selection from waiting list, complete full application and attend interview
Attend a voucher briefing
Select a rental unit with your voucher
Await inspection results
Sign the lease
Move in, pay rent and utilities
Comply with HUD and BHA’s rules and regulations

Waiting Lists and Eligibility

When a family wishes to receive assistance, the family must submit an application when the waiting list is open. Generally, when a voucher becomes available, the next family at the top of the waiting list is contacted and screened for eligibility. The HCV waiting list is not first-come, first-served. The list is ordered and ranked by preference points which the family must verify. The BHA has established the preference point system to quickly serve within our jurisdiction the most vulnerable populations.

Preference Point System for HCV Program and Public Housing

Preference	Point Value
Monroe County Resident	4 points
Resident of Surrounding County: Owen, Brown, Greene, Lawrence, Morgan	3 points
Head of Household and Spouse, or Sole Member, is Either Elderly or Disabled	2 points
Any Member of Household is Disabled	1 point
Current Victim of Domestic Violence	2 points
Current Member or Veteran of U.S. Military, or Surviving Spouse of a Veteran	1 point
Working 35 Hours or More Per Week	2 points
Working 20 to 34 Hours Per Week	1 Point

Applicant families must meet the following requirements:

Meet HUD’s definition of family
Meet income limits specified by HUD
Qualify on the basis of citizenship or the eligible immigrant status
Provide social security number information
Sign required consent forms
Pass screening process

In some cases, an applicant family may meet certain BHA’s preference (see HCV’s Administrative Plan) or HUD’s targeted funding criteria (VASH , FUP, EHV). In those cases, BHA might move those families to the top of the waiting list.

Portability

BHA is currently absorbing all port-ins. An eligible family that has been issued a housing choice voucher may use that voucher to lease a unit anywhere in the United States where there is a housing agency operating a HCV program. This feature of the program is referred to as portability. BHA’s HCV program allows for families with a voucher from another housing authority to transfer their voucher to Bloomington. This process is called “porting in” to BHA. The process of transferring a voucher from one city to another varies, depending on a number of factors.

Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing

Through a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the BHA provides Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) rental assistance for homeless Veterans. The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program combines rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the VA. The VA provides these services for participating Veterans at VA medical centers (VAMCs) and community-based outreach clinics.

The BHA administers 80 HUD-VASH vouchers to eligible homeless veterans referred by our partnering VAMCs. The Bloomington Outpatient Clinic VA HUD/VASH contact information is:

1332 W Arch Haven Ave.
Suite A
Office: 812-349-4406

Interested VASH participants may visit the Shalom Community Center at 620 S. Walnut St. Bloomington, IN 47401 on Wednesday mornings. A HUD-VASH Social Worker will be available to answer questions.

If you are a current HUD-VASH voucher holder and need assistance, please contact Jenna Donlan or Angie Wiles by phone at 812-339-3491 or by email at jdonlan@blha.net or awiles@blha.net. You may also come by our office located at 1007 N. Summitt St. Bloomington, IN 47401.

If a landlord is interested in leasing their rental units to HUD-VASH Voucher participant, they may contact the agency’s HCV Program Manager to obtain additional information about special lease-up procedures.

Homeownership Program

Overview

The Homeownership Program is offered to eligible BHA HCV (Section 8) participants and allows participants to have their housing subsidy applied towards a monthly mortgage payment after a home is purchased. Residents who wish to join the program must meet certain eligibility requirements and when deemed eligible they are required to attend a homeownership orientation and education course order to prepare for homeownership. Participants select homes for purchase and secure their own mortgage financing through a lender.

Similarities between Renting with HCV and Homeownership
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible Homes
Duration of Mortgage Subsidy

Similarities between Renting with HCV and Homeownership

Participants contribute 30% of their monthly adjusted income towards either their monthly rent and utilities or a mortgage payment and utilities
The Payment Standard amount for mortgages based on family size. This is the same Payment Standard for renting an apartment/house.

Eligibility Requirements

Must be a resident in “good standing” with no lease violations or outstanding rent payments
Must be a first-time homebuyer
Must have been working full time, consistently for one year and earning more than $15,000 per year. (Full-time = 30 hours/week.) Excluding elderly and/or disabled.
Credit scores of 600 or above for mortgage applicants (may be higher based on lender requirements)
Participant must be enrolled in the Family Self Sufficiency Program

Eligible Homes

Must be located within Monroe County
Must be owner occupied
Must pass Housing Quality Standards (HQS)
A down-payment of 3% of the purchase price of the home is required and 1% of the down payment must come from the participant’s own funds (no gifts or grants are allowed for the participant’s portion).

Duration of Mortgage Subsidy

15 years if the mortgage has a term for 20 years or longer
10 years if the mortgage has a term of 15 years
30 years if resident is elderly (62 years or older) or disabled at the time of purchase.

For more information about the Homeownership Program please contact:

Elizabeth Hacker
Phone: (812) 339-3491 ext. 120
Email: ehacker@blha.net

Frequently Asked Questions

Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)

How can I find out my placement on the waiting list?

Please click here to be directed to the online waiting list check.

How do I request an extension on my voucher?

Requests need to be submitted in writing which includes fax, email, etc. This statement must be submitted before your voucher expires. Calling to make a request for an extension will not be accepted.

When do I give my landlord the Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA)?

You will need to give the landlord your RFTA when you are certain that this is the unit/location for you and after they have approved you to utilize this unit.

Did my unit pass inspection?

Your landlord will know whether or not your unit passed inspection. Please contact your landlord for inspection results.

Can I sign my lease now?

If your unit has passed inspection, you will need to get in contact with your landlord to sign your lease. If your unit has not passed inspection, it is recommended that you do not sign a lease with the landlord until the unit passes inspection. If the unit fails an inspection for a second time, the BHA will not assist the unit and you may need to seek other options.

How soon will I know my rent amount?

Your case manager will not know the rent amount until after the unit passes inspection and up to 10 days thereafter.

If I am currently residing in the unit that I want to receive assistance on, how will I know when the inspection for my unit is scheduled?

It is up to your landlord to notify you of the scheduled inspection. Please ensure the inspector can access all outlets and windows, and move any furniture which is blocking outlets or windows.

If I am coming in for an appointment, do I still need to sign in?

Yes, please sign in any time you enter the BHA for any reason.

I have called my case manager multiple times and have not yet received a response. What should I do?

Multiple calls will delay the move-in process as case managers are currently assisting over 300 families each. Case managers have a 24 business hour response time allotment and emailing your case manager will typically result in a quicker response time.

If I qualify for a one-bedroom unit, but there is a two-bedroom unit available within the one-bedroom payment standard, will I qualify for the two-bedroom unit?

Yes, if the two-bedroom unit is within the one-bedroom payment standard (utilities plus rent), you may qualify for the two-bedroom unit. However, if after one year of residing in the unit, the landlord chooses to request a rent increase of up to the two-bedroom payment standard, you will be responsible for the amount that exceeds the one-bedroom payment standard.

If I am currently residing in a subsidized unit (e.g. Henderson Court or Woodbridge), how do I go about moving from one HUD-assisted housing program to another?

You must give your landlord a notice as stated in your lease agreement. Move-ins for new admissions to HCV Program are done the 1st or the 15th of the month. You must turn your keys in at least one day prior to your Section 8 move-in date. Failure to give your notice and turn in your keys prior to this date will result in delayed assistance.

Is the Waiting List Open?

For current information on all HCV waiting lists, please navigate to the Waiting List by clicking here.

How do I report changes in family income and/or family composition?

To report any changes, increase or decrease, you must complete an interim change form that is available online by clicking here.

For your convenience, once you have completed the fillable PDF Interim Change Form, you may save the document to your computer, tablet, or smartphone and then email the document to your case manager. Click here for the BHA staff email directory.

You may also obtain and complete the interim change form at the front desk of the BHA main office. Changes to income and/or family composition must be reported in writing within fourteen calendar days of the occurrence. If you begin working, an interim change form must be completed within fourteen calendar days from the hire date. Calling to report a change will not be accepted.

How can I ensure my dwelling unit passes inspection?

Click here to be directed to the HQS Inspection Guidelines.

I would like to move. What do I need to do?

You will first need to schedule an appointment with your HCV Case Manager to be certified to move. A staff directory with contact information can be found here. Your case manager will assist you with providing your current landlord the required notice to vacate. Please note you may be ineligible to move with continued assistance if you are within your initial 12 month lease term, if you owe money to the BHA, or if BHA has filed for termination of your assistance.

Can I use my voucher assistance in a different city? How about a different state?

Yes, your voucher assistance is portable and can be used anywhere within the United States served by a Public Housing Authority. For more information regarding the portability process, please navigate to the Portability section by clicking here.

I have received a notice of termination of my assistance. What can I do?

You will need to request an appeal in writing within 14 calendar days from the date of your termination notice. The written appeal request must be submitted to BHA within the 14-day window. Once BHA has received your written request for an appeal, a hearing will be scheduled.

If you are an applicant or participant of the HCV Program and would like to provide feedback regarding your experience with the briefing and leasing process, please complete the following brief survey. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and helps to improve our program and services.

HCV (Section 8)