Housing Assistance for Single Mothers in Stephens City, Virginia
- In order to qualify for any of the HUD rental assistance programs, the applicant, and other members of the household, must be U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens. In addition, the household must meet income guidelines. The household income must be less than 50 percent of the median income for the area; however, federal law requires at least 75 percent of all occupied subsidized housing in an area to be rented to households who are considered extremely low income as defined by income that is less than 30 percent of the area median. The current median income can be found on the HUD website (see Resources).
- Project-based housing is what most people think of as the old "Section 8 " housing. As the name implies, project-based housing refers to housing where an entire complex is devoted to subsidized units. When a recipient lives in project-based housing, the subsidy stays with the unit if the recipient chooses to move. The renter will pay approximately 30 percent of her disposable income in rent, and the remainder will be paid by the program.
- Unlike the project-based subsidy, the recipient of a housing choice voucher can move and take the voucher with her. With a housing choice voucher, the recipient can locate a privately owned apartment or home to rent and use the voucher to subsidize her rent. The unit must pass an inspection, be a suitable size for the family, and the landlord must agree to accept the voucher. With a housing choice voucher, the recipient pays approximately 30 percent of her disposable income in rent unless the rent is higher than normal for the unit size. In that case, the renter will have to pay the difference.
- You must apply to the local housing authority (see Resources) for either of the housing assistance programs. The closest housing authority to Stephens City is in the city of Winchester. Although the programs are funded by the federal government, they are administered by local housing authority offices. It is common to have very long waiting lists for housing assistance. In order to increase your chance of securing housing you may wish to consider applying at more than one housing authority as they keep separate lists.