Is section 8 housing even really possible?
Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 1:32 pm
I was wondering if you could help me understand how the Section 8 program works. Is it even possible to get a house, or is it a myth? I am disabled and on SS Disability and applied for low income rental assistance in Sharp County, Arkansas. I lived in Texas at the time and filled out the paperwork because I wanted to move back to where I grew up.
I tried to find out what the rent limit was. I was told I would have to pay 30% of my income and there would be a utility allowance but they didn't know how much until I found a house. It was only me and I was told I would probably be able to find a 2 bedroom house, and they would go over the utility allowance, and the price range I could rent in, when my name came up and I met with the person for an orientation.
Once my name came up on the section 8 list, they let me know so I rented a YOU-Haul truck and moved all my stuff up from Texas to Arkansas and put my stuff in storage. I went in for the orientation. Got a voucher and was told that I made too much money to get a utility allowance and since there was only one person, I couldn't go over $480 a month for rent and utilities. Well, there wasn't any 1 bedroom houses for rent and 2 bedroom houses started around $500 for rent only.
I asked what the cut off limit was for a utility allowance but I never got an answer. One lady seemed offended when I was asking how things are calculated and said, "we go by what's in the system, I don't just pull the figures out of thin air."
Anyway, can you explain how the utility allowance works and how it's based on income? How does section 8 work? Is it a scam?
Also, my sister is disabled and has been trying to get approved for SSI but only has an income of $200 a month and 1 minor child. She applied for Section 8 in Independence County, Arkansas and was approved for a 2 bedroom house or apartment. Her rent limit was $435 (which was less than mine for a 1 bedroom and the town she lives in is much larger then where I applied for and only about 45 miles away) and she got a utility allowance for $107. My sister looked around but couldn't find anything in that price range. When she told the HUD lady she couldn't find anything, the lady told her to call the real estate companies to see if there were any apartments for rent. My sister called but they too were more than she was allowed.
I called the lady in charge of the HUD low income housing (Shawna Baxter in Batesville, AR) and asked why my sisters’ allowance was lower than mine and that I had been approved for a one bedroom. She told me the rent limit was based on income too. She said I could make an appointment and come in and talk to her but when I told her it was for my sister she told me if she had any questions that she would have to come in and talk to her.
Can you please educate me on how the rent limits are based on income and at what point they would go up to match the 90% of the fair market rent for that area?
I tried to find out what the rent limit was. I was told I would have to pay 30% of my income and there would be a utility allowance but they didn't know how much until I found a house. It was only me and I was told I would probably be able to find a 2 bedroom house, and they would go over the utility allowance, and the price range I could rent in, when my name came up and I met with the person for an orientation.
Once my name came up on the section 8 list, they let me know so I rented a YOU-Haul truck and moved all my stuff up from Texas to Arkansas and put my stuff in storage. I went in for the orientation. Got a voucher and was told that I made too much money to get a utility allowance and since there was only one person, I couldn't go over $480 a month for rent and utilities. Well, there wasn't any 1 bedroom houses for rent and 2 bedroom houses started around $500 for rent only.
I asked what the cut off limit was for a utility allowance but I never got an answer. One lady seemed offended when I was asking how things are calculated and said, "we go by what's in the system, I don't just pull the figures out of thin air."
Anyway, can you explain how the utility allowance works and how it's based on income? How does section 8 work? Is it a scam?
Also, my sister is disabled and has been trying to get approved for SSI but only has an income of $200 a month and 1 minor child. She applied for Section 8 in Independence County, Arkansas and was approved for a 2 bedroom house or apartment. Her rent limit was $435 (which was less than mine for a 1 bedroom and the town she lives in is much larger then where I applied for and only about 45 miles away) and she got a utility allowance for $107. My sister looked around but couldn't find anything in that price range. When she told the HUD lady she couldn't find anything, the lady told her to call the real estate companies to see if there were any apartments for rent. My sister called but they too were more than she was allowed.
I called the lady in charge of the HUD low income housing (Shawna Baxter in Batesville, AR) and asked why my sisters’ allowance was lower than mine and that I had been approved for a one bedroom. She told me the rent limit was based on income too. She said I could make an appointment and come in and talk to her but when I told her it was for my sister she told me if she had any questions that she would have to come in and talk to her.
Can you please educate me on how the rent limits are based on income and at what point they would go up to match the 90% of the fair market rent for that area?