Moving with Section 8: A Guide to the Voucher Portability Process
The HUD Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, also called Section 8, can let a family move and keep rental help by using a process called portability when the tenant is approved and meets guidelines. Portability is the HUD term for transferring a voucher so it can be used outside the area served by the public housing agency (PHA) that currently manages the family’s assistance. Find details below on how the HUD portability program allows families who are in a section 8 home or apartment to move
The reason someone may need to move can vary widely. Examples may include changes in employment, family size, health, safety, caregiving needs, or other personal circumstances can lead voucher households to relocate within a state or maybe even to a new state. Portability can help the tenant using section 8 relocate, but the family needs to follow the correct steps with both the current housing authority and the housing authority in the new location.
What is porting a section 8 voucher?
Portability is the process that allows a voucher holder to move and continue receiving rental assistance in another PHA jurisdiction, as long as there is a PHA operating a Housing Choice Voucher program where the family wants to live. HUD tries to provide flexibility to tenant when possible so that portability moves are allowed. Terms for relocation can vary though. Examples of rules may around length of previous stay - Under HUD rules, if a family did not live in the PHA's jurisdiction at the time they applied for the voucher, they must live there for 12 months before porting. If they did live there when they applied, they can port immediately.
Key Rules for Moving (Detailed breakdown below):
- The One-Year Residency Rule: If you did not live in the jurisdiction of your PHA when you first applied for your voucher, you generally must live there for at least 12 months before you can port.
- Good Standing: To be approved, you must be in compliance with your current lease and not in violation of any program rules.
- Receiving PHA Rules: Once you move, you are subject to the rules of the new housing authority. They cannot refuse to assist you if they have a voucher program, but their local policies may differ from your old agency.
Under federal rules and the HUD portability program (website: https://www.hud.gov/helping-americans/housing-choice-vouchers-portability), the receiving PHA generally must administer assistance for an incoming tenant if it has jurisdiction in the area where the unit is located, and it cannot refuse to assist portable families. If more than one PHA serves the new area, the family normally chooses which receiving PHA will administer the voucher.
How rent and the tenant share can change after a move
A common misconception is that a Section 8 voucher always covers the same amount regardless of location. When you port, the Receiving PHA’s local rules take over. When a family ports (transfers the voucher), the voucher does not automatically pay the same amount it paid in the old area. The receiving PHA’s payment standards, utility allowances, and subsidy standards usually apply in the new location, which means the tenant’s share and the subsidy amount can go up or down.
How Rent and Your Share of Payment Can Change (Detailed breakdown below):
- Payment Standards: If the new city has a lower payment standard than your current one, the maximum amount the voucher covers may decrease.
- The 30% vs. 40% Rule: While most tenants pay roughly 30% of their income toward rent, you can choose a unit where the rent is higher than the payment standard. However, at the time of the initial move, the family’s share of rent cannot exceed 40% of their adjusted monthly income. If the rent is higher than that, the PHA will legally deny the move.
- Voucher Size: The new PHA will use its own "subsidy standards" to determine your bedroom size. For example, your current PHA might allow a three-bedroom voucher for your family size, but the new PHA might only allow two.
A common misconception is that the section 8 housing choice voucher always keeps the tenant at a fixed percent such as 30% of income. Note the renter can pay more if the selected unit rent is above the local payment standard. In reality, the tenant’s share of what the monthly cost will be depends on several factors, including the unit rent compared to the local payment standard.
There is also a key protection at initial move-in when the unit’s gross rent is above the payment standard: at initial occupancy, the family share cannot exceed 40% of adjusted monthly income. If the rent is too high, the PHA might deny the move entirely because it’s considered "unaffordable" under HUD guidelines. The receiving PHA will also decide the family’s voucher bedroom size using its subsidy standards, which can affect what the family can rent and the payment standard used.
How to transfer the Section 8 housing choice voucher
The portability process starts with the tenant notifying the current PHA that it wants to move with continued assistance from HUD and stating the location where it wants to live. This notification step is required in the federal portability procedure. You must notify the current PHA that issued the Section 8 voucher as soon as you decide to move and provide the location of your planned residence. The landlord or property owner should be notified as required by your lease and local rules.
The PHA may give you a transfer packet of forms to complete that includes notice requirements and instructions for moving with continued assistance. Proper notice that you are vacating the premises must be given to the landlord as required in your rental agreement. This is part of keeping your voucher in good standing while you request portability to another area.
Persons may need to reside in the location of their initial PHA for one year before being allowed to port/move into a new jurisdiction. This helps ensure tenants on section 8 do not move repeatedly in an unrealistic / unaffordable process. The one year stay may also vary too depending on how the initial PHA admitted the family and its policies, with it not always being 100% the rule bot more likely than not. To be approved for porting, persons must generally be in compliance with the program and not in violation of lease provisions or program rules.
The current PHA will determine whether you are eligible for Section 8 portability and provide you with information to contact the receiving PHA in the new city or state that the tenant wants to relocate too. A list of housing authority contact information is on the HUD website at https://www.hud.gov/contactus/public-housing-contacts. If there is more than one PHA serving the area in which you plan to move, you may be able to select which PHA you wish to administer your voucher. Another option for families to explore is the Small Area Fair Market Rents program from HUD, which can affect voucher rent limits by ZIP code in some places.
The current housing authority will notify the receiving PHA of the planned move and send portability paperwork. The receiving PHA will apply its rules for briefing, voucher term, unit approval, and inspection, which can affect how the move is completed.
If you are eligible to move or transfer the Section 8 voucher, the current PHA will work with the receiving PHA so the family or individual can be issued documents needed to search for a new home, apartment, townhome or condo in the new area. Some local programs may help with moving costs or security deposits, and we have a list of various local and national programs that may help pay for moving costs or a deposit.
Once you arrive in the new location, you must contact the new PHA (which you should already have the contact information as noted above) and follow its procedures and rules regarding the rental unit. The HUD guidebook on various terms is at https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PIH/documents/HCV_Guidebook_Moves_and_Portability.pdf. Note the rules and regulations may differ from your current program. Interviews may be required if the household composition or income amount has changed. There will also need to be proof of income, assets and other criteria. The receiving PHA will issue the paperwork allowing you to look for housing in the new location.
Almost every housing authority, if not all of them, have different payment standards around the rent, utility allowances, and subsidy standards that affect portability and the unit size that can be approved. The section 8 rent amount and other subsidies may change, or you may not be able to rent a home with the same number of bedrooms. A recommend move is to be proactive - research the various PHAs operating in the region where you plan to live and contact the expected receiving PHA before moving.
You may be able to obtain an estimate of the voucher amount you can expect to receive and learn about the type of housing, sizes and more for which you qualify. You may learn this and more by asking the receiving PHA about its payment standards and subsidy standards. The home will still be in the private rental market. Other useful information may include whether the PHA operates a Family Self-Sufficiency or Home Ownership program
How long does the section 8 portability transfer take?
Timing is often critical for Section 8 portability to ensure there is no interruption of the section 8 subsidy during the move. Time must be allowed to accommodate the receiving PHA's process and appointments, plus inspection of and rent approval for the chosen residence. Some moves can be handled faster than others, but HUD does not publish one guaranteed timeline for every housing authority.
Planning to relocate should be done well in advance of the move because delays can happen from incomplete paperwork, landlord response time, inspections, and rent approvals. If the family does not allow enough time, it may be without housing for a short period or may end up paying full rent for a time if the new lease starts before assistance can begin.
- Failing to allow sufficient time for these various agencies to process the move may leave you without a roof over your head for a short period. However, another thing to keep in mind is that if you move too quickly, you may end up moving into a new residence before the lease on your old residence has terminated. In that case, you may be required to pay full rent at the new and old residence until the subsidy is approved to begin.
Like anyone undertaking a move, HCV participants need to plan for extra expenses, including security deposits, moving costs, transportation, and living expenses during the move. Utility connection costs should be included in the moving budget. Section 8 will not pay those costs.
Tenants transferring their Section 8 voucher to another state or town that have an eviction on their record may struggle to find an apartment to rent. Sometimes a lower income family may face some type of discrimination as well, and learn more on reporting it at https://www.hud.gov/reporthousingdiscrimination. Local legal aid and fair housing resources, or our list of options if you have a past eviction, may help tenants understand their rights and options when searching for housing.
Have backup housing options in place
Making plans for alternative short-term accommodations should be in place in case the porting process takes longer than planned, which is dealing with government agencies and housing authorities (“bureaucracy”) is always a possibility. Relatives or friends might provide a solution for short-term housing. Otherwise, look for places that offer a short-term lease and include those potential costs in your budget - in other words “plan for the worst and hope for the best”.
One option is to look into a short term, homesharing type programs. This are approved - screened services. Sometimes there may be apartments with no or a limited waiting list. Planning for school registration, childcare, and employment in the new location will also ease the transition to a new home.
Moving under any circumstances tends to be stressful. For persons who rely on the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program to help them pay their rent, doing what is needed to maintain this critical subsidy may increase anxiety. However, with proper planning and following HUD portability procedures, families can successfully relocate using the HUD portability program while working to avoid an interruption in assistance.
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