The Section 8 housing choice voucher (HCV) program helps people with low income afford housing. The program is funded by the federal government and administered by local public housing authorities (PHAs).
The project-based voucher (PBV) program is one part of the HCV program. It helps pay for rent in privately owned rental housing, but only in specific privately owned buildings or units. That means that if you get a project-based voucher, you don’t get to choose the unit you live in.
If you qualify for the PBV program, you will end up spending 30% of your income on your housing and your public housing authority will pay the rest.
In addition to the PBV program, Section 8 may help you with:
- Tenant-based housing choice vouchers, which help pay for rent in any privately owned housing that accepts HCV vouchers as payment. This is the most common and well-known HCV benefit
- The Homeownership Program, which helps buy a home and meet the monthly homeownership expenses
Who Can Get It
The project-based voucher program is for people with low income who are willing to live in specific housing units that are offered to them. Local public housing authorities contract with the owners of these units and when one of them is available, the PHA will offer it to someone who is on the PBV waiting list. This is different from the tenant-based program, because if you accept PBV assistance, you do not get to choose the unit you live in nor do you get to keep your PBV benefit if you move.
The exact income limit for PBV assistance depends on the number of people in your household and where you live. The best way to know the income limit in an area is by contacting a local public housing authority (PHA). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also lists income limits. Households with income that is below 50% of median income (what HUD considers “very low income”) or lower may qualify, but most beneficiaries are below 30% of median income.
When you apply for the project-based voucher program, the people reviewing your application will also look at:
- Your history with federal housing programs
- Your criminal background
- Your credit history
Learn more about Section 8 housing choice voucher eligibility on Disability Benefits 101.
An important part of the PBV program is that many local housing authorities will set aside some of their project-based units specifically for people who are 65 or older, people with disabilities, veterans, and other people in certain situations or who need services.
If you are in a special situation, talk to local public housing authorities about this possibility.
Housing Settings Where the Project-Based Voucher Program May Help
The two biggest differences between project-based housing and tenant-based vouchers are:
- If you get a project-based unit, you will be offered affordable housing in a specific apartment and won’t get to choose the apartment you rent.
- If you move out of your project-based apartment, you may lose your benefit and have to pay full rent.
That means that you don’t really get to choose where you live with project-based housing — you will live in a privately owned apartment that has the number of bedrooms that match what you need.
If you need services like personal care assistance, you may be able to get help paying for those services from programs like Medical Assistance (MA) and MA-Waiver programs. Contact your local county or tribal human services office to learn about your options.
Application
Apply for housing assistance, including the project-based voucher program, at local public housing authorities. It’s good to apply to more than one PHA, because not all PHAs have project-based housing and most of them have waiting lists. If you’re put on a waiting list, you may not get any benefits for a long time. By applying to more than one PHA, you are more likely to be offered a project-based housing unit sooner. Some PHAs do not have open waiting lists. That means there is no way to apply at that PHA.
Each housing authority has its own application form you will have to fill out. These application forms ask you to state how many people live in your household, how they are related, how much income you have, and if you have a disability.
If you have a problem applying, get help from the housing authority staff — you never have to pay to apply. It is illegal for somebody to sell you an application.
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