Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

The Brunswick County Public Housing Agency (BCPHA) administers the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance program. This is the only program administered by the agency.

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program is the federal government’s major program for assisting very low-income families to rent decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since the rental assistance program is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find and lease privately-owned housing, including single-family homes, townhouses, apartments, and mobile homes. The participant is free to choose any housing that meets program requirements.

Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers are administered locally by public and Indian housing agencies (HAs). The Housing Agency (HA) receives federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer the voucher program. The housing agency is not a federal department.

A family that is issued a rental voucher is responsible for finding and selecting a suitable rental unit of the family’s choice. This unit may include the family’s present residence. Rental units must meet minimum Housing Quality Standards (HQS) as determined by the housing agency. A rental subsidy is paid directly to the landlord on behalf of the participating family. The family then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program.

Eligibility for program participation is determined by the HA based on the total gross annual income and the family size. Please see income limits to determine if you are income eligible for program participation.