HCV Program Features

The tenant-based voucher (TBV, formerly known as Section 8) program is the federal government's major program for assisting extremely low-income to low-income families in affording decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, apartments, and townhouses. Some of the program features are:

• Free Yearly Inspections
  
  AHA is required to conduct yearly inspections on the each assisted unit to ensure it meets Housing Quality Standards (HQS). .

• Guaranteed Timely Payments
  
  As long as the unit is in Housing Quality Standards (HQS) compliance, the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) are deposited directly into your checking or savings account with a receipt emailed to you monthly, which you can print for your records. If you do not have a checking or savings account, the AHA will mail you a check.

• Pre-Screened Tenants
  
  AHA conducts criminal and sex offender checks only. The landlord is responsible to screen tenants for suitability.  

• Consistent Tenant Base
  
  Allowing TBV tenants in your property gives you access to an untapped tenant base. Not only are you broadening your tenant base, but you are also opening your property to a consistent tenant base.
  
  There is high demand for Section 8 vouchers across the country. Many areas have wait lists and thousands of people longing to be on the program. Therefore, you do not have to worry that there will be a shortage of Section 8 tenants. Even if your market does not have a large number of tenants on Section 8, by accepting these tenants, you are not relying on them as the only way to fill your vacancy, but rather are just increasing your prospective tenant pool.

• Free Marketing
  
  Owners can list available units by notifying AHA free of charge. AHA compiles a list of available units and issues it to families searching for housing.