Voucher Program

You are here:

Home
Voucher Program

The HCV/Section 8 Waiting List is OPEN – Click Here to Apply

The HCV/Section 8 Waiting List is Currently CLOSED

HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM (SECTION 8)

The Housing Authority of the City of Lee’s Summit administers both the Public Housing Program and the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. HACLS provides housing assistance to 1,600 individuals on a daily basis.

The need for affordable housing in Lee’s Summit continues to grow and exceeds the housing assistance currently available. Therefore HACLS uses waiting lists to administer its housing programs to eligible families. For the HCV program, applicants are selected to the waiting list through the application process. The HACLS opens and closes the waiting list as allowed by HUD regulations. For more information about HACLS’s HCV program policies, you can review our Administrative Plan. HACLS does not provide emergency housing. If you are in need of affordable housing assistance while on one of our waiting lists or if you were unable to get onto one of our waiting lists, please contact the LSHA office to find out about other area housing resources.

Regulations for the Housing Choice Voucher Program are found at 24 CFR Part 982

The Administration Plan for the Lee’s Summit Housing Authority Section 8 Voucher program is available HERE

HOW THE HCV PROGRAM WORKS

The Housing Authority of the City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri manages the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program (also known as Section 8) that provides rental vouchers for a base-line of 655 units of housing. This program can support more than 1,600 individuals in Lee’s Summit and the greater Jackson County private rental market.

The HCV Program depends on a cooperative relationship between the owner or property manager, the housing authority, and the assisted family. The program is designed to maintain the regular owner/tenant relationship. The role of the housing authority is to subsidize the family’s rent; all other aspects of the lease agreement must be resolved between the landlord and the tenant. The following summarizes the responsibilities of each party.

The Housing Authority’s Responsibilities:

Review all applications to determine families’ eligibility for the program.
Explain the rules of the program to families and property owners/managers.
Issues vouchers to families.
Inspect and approve the assisted unit for compliance with housing quality standards and conduct rent reasonable surveys based on the private market.
Calculate the family’s share of the rent and pays HACLS’s rent portion to the property owner on behalf of the participant in a timely manner.
Re-examine the family’s income and composition annually and adjust the family’s rent.
Process changes to rent portions when there are changes in the family’s circumstances.
Ensure that owners and families comply with the program rules.
Provide prompt, professional service to owners and tenant families.

The Owner:

Thoroughly screen and interview families that apply.
Maintain the property in compliance with Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and make necessary repairs in a timely manner.
Collect application fees, security deposits, and the tenant’s monthly rent portion.
Manage the property and enforce the lease.
Comply with the terms of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Contract and HUD Tenancy addendum.
Comply with all fair housing laws and do not improperly discriminate against any family.
Notify the housing authority if a tenant vacates the unit., Return any housing assistance payments received after a family vacates a unit.
Promptly notify the housing authority of ownership changes so payments are issued to the new landlord without delay.

The Family:

Provide the housing authority with complete and accurate information pertaining to the family income and composition.
Report changes in income and family composition to HACA within 30 days of occurrence.
Locate a suitable unit before the voucher expires and pay the security deposit and application fee to the owner.
Attend scheduled appointments and return documents on time.
Maintain the unit in good, safe, decent, and sanitary condition.
Sign and comply with the terms of the lease.
Pay their portion of the rent on time to the owner.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN HCV

Families on the voucher program can choose to select their own housing location within HACLS’s jurisdiction. HACLS pays a portion of an eligible family’s rent each month directly to the landlord, and the family pays between 30 and 40 percent of their household income toward rent. HACLS provides rental assistance for up to 655 households.

Here are the steps to participate in the HCV Program: