Vouchers Overview

The Housing Choice Voucher Program assists very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. WHA uses the waitlist to house families who meet income and eligibility requirements set by the Federal government. A participating family may choose to remain in their current unit or move to another unit, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments.

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) is limited to very low-income families and individuals. An HA determines your eligibility based on: 
1) Annual Gross Income*; 
2) whether you qualify as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family; and 
3) U.S. Citizenship or Eligible Immigration Status. 

*WHA uses income limits developed by HUD. HUD sets the lower income limits at 80% and very low income limits at 50% of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which you choose to live. Income limits vary from area to area so you may be eligible at one Housing Authority but not at another. The WHA can provide you with the income levels for your area and family size, or you can also find the income limits here.
 

Tenant's Role: 
The tenant, once deemed eligible as per HUD guidelines, chooses a housing unit that meets the program requirements, signs a lease with the landlord for one year.  The tenant may be required to pay a security deposit to the landlord.  After the first year the landlord may initiate a new lease or allow the family to remain in the unit on a month-to-month lease. As a participant the family is expected to comply with the lease and the program requirements, pay their share of the rent on time, pay their utilities, maintain the unit in good condition and notify the housing authority and landlord of any changes in the unit, in their income or family composition.

Landlord's Role: 
The role of the landlord in the Housing Choice Voucher Program is to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing to a tenant at a reasonable rent.  The unit must pass the program's housing quality standards (HQS) inspection and be maintained up to those standards as long as the owner receives housing assistance payments.  In addition, the landlord is expected to provide the services agreed to as part of the lease signed with the tenant and the HAP contract signed with the WHA.

Waterbury Housing Authority's Role: 
The WHA administers the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The WHA provides the family with the rental assistance that enables the family to seek out suitable housing. The WHA enters into a contract with the landlord to provide rental assistance on behalf of the family. 
If the landlord fails to meet his/her obligations under the lease, the WHA has the right to terminate assistance payments. Each month the WHA makes Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) directly to the Landlord.

Since the demand for housing assistance often exceeds the limited resources available to HUD and the local housing agencies, long waiting periods are common. In fact, WHA may close its waiting list when it has more families on the list than can be assisted in the near future. WHA may establish local preferences for selecting applicants from its waiting list. For example, WHA may give a preference to a family who is (1) homeless or living in substandard housing, (2) paying more than 50% of its income for rent, or (3) have been involuntarily displaced. Families who qualify for any such local preferences move ahead of other families on the list who do not qualify for any preference. WHA has the discretion to establish local preferences to reflect the housing needs and priorities of its particular community.