Voucher Programs
Housing Choice Voucher Program
The housing choice voucher program is the federal government’s major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments.
The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects.
Housing choice vouchers are administered locally by public housing agencies (PHAs). The PHAs receive federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer the voucher program.
A family that is issued a housing voucher is responsible for finding a suitable housing unit of the family’s choice where the owner agrees to rent under the program. This unit may include the family’s present residence. Rental units must meet minimum standards of health and safety, as determined by the PHA.
A housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by the PHA on behalf of the participating family. The family then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program. Under certain circumstances, if authorized by the PHA, a family may use its voucher to purchase a modest home.
To learn more about this program, see if you are eligible, or check the status of the waitlist, please use the form on the Contact Us page or call us at 410-758-8634. Please click the link below for further information.
Project Based Voucher Program
Project-based vouchers (PBVs) are a component of a public housing agency’s (PHA’s) Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. PHAs are not allocated additional funding for PBV units; the PHA uses its tenant-based voucher funding to allocate project-based units to a project.
The PBV program was enacted in 1998, as part of the statutory merger of the certificate and voucher tenant-based assistance programs under the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act (QHWRA) of 1998. Significant changes to the program were subsequently enacted by the Fiscal Year 2001 Appropriations Act; the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008; the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (EGA); the Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities (FSHO) amendments; and the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA). While some of the regulatory requirements of the HCV program also apply to the PBV program, HUD also issues regulations that apply only to PBV.
The Housing Authority of Queen Anne’s County participates in the voluntary PBV program. Projects are typically selected non-competitively.
A PHA can project-base existing units or units that will be rehabilitated or newly constructed in accordance with applicable requirements. A PHA may have an ownership interest in the units, but this is not a requirement.
To learn more about this program, see if you are eligible, or check the status of the waitlist, please use the form on the Contact Us page or call us at 410-758-8634. Please click the link below for further information.
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Voucher Program
The Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program combines HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless Veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VA provides these services for participating Veterans at VA medical centers (VAMCs), community-based outreach clinics (CBOCs), through VA contractors, or through other VA designated entities.
To learn more about this program, see if you are eligible, or check the status of the waitlist, please use the form on the Contact Us page or call us at 410-758-8634. Please click the link below for further information.