Rental Assistance: Housing Vouchers
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Rental Assistance: Housing Vouchers
Rental assistance programs provide financial aid, mostly through vouchers, to help low-income families and individuals rent apartments in settings other than public housing developments.
Both Massachusetts and the federal government can help you pay your rent through “voucher” programs. You can use some vouchers anywhere as long as the unit meets health and safety standards. Other vouchers are for a specific housing unit. There are also programs for emergency financial support if you are in danger of losing your housing.
Apply for the Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers Program (HCVP)
What are Section 8 Vouchers? for Apply for the Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers Program (HCVP)
Note: There is currently no online application for EOHLC’s Section 8 vouchers. You’ll complete an application and mail or take it to a Regional Administrating Agency.
If you qualify, you’ll receive a voucher to pay part of your rent. You’ll have a limited time to find a rental home anywhere in the country. You can also choose to stay in your current rental home if it meets the program’s requirements. The home must meet minimum standards of health and safety.
We’ll calculate the value of the voucher based on the cost of units like yours in the same area. However, the Section 8 program does not set the amount a landlord charges for rent.
Generally, you’ll pay 30% of your income toward rent. We’ll pay part of the rent directly to the landlord.
Who is eligible for Section 8 vouchers?
Your eligibility depends on your household’s total gross income (or your income before taxes are taken out). The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) establishes income limits for people receiving vouchers. Those limits are based on Median Family Income estimates and the Fair Market Rent for areas around the country.
Note: There are often long waiting lists for vouchers because demand for help with housing is high. While you wait, it’s important to keep your contact information up to date with the agency you applied to so they can notify you of any changes. If you don’t, you could lose your place on the waitlist.
Learn if you’re eligible for a Stability Voucher
The City of Boston’s Continuum of Care program has Stability Vouchers (emergency housing vouchers) for people in Boston who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and who might be veterans or escaping domestic violence. If this applies to you, contact the City of Boston CoC.
How to apply Apply for the Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers Program (HCVP)
Important: Massachusetts residents can’t apply to Section 8 online right now. You will need to mail in your application or take it to a Regional Administering Agency in person.
You can use some vouchers anywhere as long as the unit meets health and safety standards (tenant-based or mobile vouchers). Other vouchers are for specific housing units (project-based vouchers). Apply for both to increase your chance of getting a voucher faster.
To apply for tenant-based or mobile vouchers:
- Download this application form and fill it out. (Find the form in a language other than English in the table below.)
- Email, mail, or take it to one of the 8 Regional Administering Agencies (RAAs) in Massachusetts. Find addresses and directions to the RAA closest to you.
- To increase your chances of getting a voucher, you can also contact a Local Housing Authority (LHA), which has a separate group of Section 8 vouchers. (You can look for an LHA in the second row of the same website as step 2.) You can also apply to MassNAHRO’s centralized Section 8 waiting list online.
Project-based vouchers are administered by RAAs. To apply for a project-based voucher:
- Contact your local RAA to learn which properties are in your area.
- Download this spreadsheet to find Property Management contact information for specific properties.
There’s high demand for housing assistance, so there are waitlists for applications. Some waitlists are so long that they may be closed. If you are in desperate need of help, apply to the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program first.
How we determine how much of your rent to cover for Apply for the Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers Program (HCVP)
What is a Payment Standard?
Section 8 vouchers pay different amounts toward your rent based on the location of the apartment you are renting. So your voucher may pay more in one town than in another. This is because housing costs are different in different areas of the state. Each region has a different “Payment Standard,” or maximum payment that a housing agency can pay to a landlord on behalf of a tenant.
How is the Payment Standard (maximum Section 8 contribution toward rent) set for an apartment?
Up until recently, the amount that each voucher paid was based on the metropolitan region the apartment was in. Starting on March 1, 2024 and moving forward, the payment standard will be based on the apartment’s zip code instead. This approach allows the Section 8 program to more accurately reflect the market rents within neighborhoods, expand housing choices and create new opportunities for program participants.
Want to Understand the HUD Official Language?
In the past, payment standards have generally been based on HUD’s “area-wide” Fair Market Rents, which generally reflected different metropolitan areas. Going forward, payment standards will be based on HUD’s Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs), which reflect zip codes.
You can use this tool to find EOHLC’s Section 8 payment standards, effective March 1, 2024.
Downloads for Apply for the Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers Program (HCVP)
Contact for Apply for the Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers Program (HCVP)
Rental Assistance Division Contact
Address
Apply for RAFT (emergency help for housing costs)
What is RAFT? for Apply for RAFT (emergency help for housing costs)
RAFT provides up to $7,000 per 12-month period so your family can stay in your current home or move to a new one. You may use the money for rent, utilities, moving costs, and mortgage payments.
Learn more about RAFT and other housing resources by dialing 211, contacting one of the Regional Agencies that manage RAFT applications, or contacting your local Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC).
Eligibility
You may be eligible for RAFT if:
You’re at risk of homelessness or losing your housing (for example, you received a Notice to Quit or an eviction notice; you’re behind on your mortgage; you received a utility shutoff notice; you have a disability; or you can’t stay in your home due to health, safety, or other reasons)
Your income is less than 50% of your city/town’s Area Median Income (AMI)
Your income is less than 60% of your city/town’s AMI AND you are at risk of domestic violence
Check your town’s Area Median Income (AMI)
Use this eligibility checker to see if you’re eligible:
What you need
Gather these documents before you apply:
- ID for Head of Household (such as a state issued driver’s license, birth certificate, or passport)
- Proof of Current Housing (such as a lease, tenancy agreement, or tenancy at will agreement)
- Verification of Housing Crisis (such as a Notice to Quit, proof that you are behind on your mortgage, an eviction notice, a utility shutoff notice, or documentation showing that you can’t stay in your current home due to health, safety, or other reasons)
- Income Verification. After you apply, we’ll need to verify your income. We’ll try to do this automatically when you apply. If we can’t, we may ask you to upload your income documents.
- Your landlord will need to complete a landlord application. After you submit your application, let your landlord or property manager know as soon as possible. They will also need to submit an application to complete the application process. If they don’t submit within 21 days, your application will time out, and you’ll have to reapply.
If you can’t fill out an application online for Apply for RAFT (emergency help for housing costs)
Contact your local RAA. They can help you complete the application another way.
