HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM

Otto Merida Desert Villas: Otto Merida Desert Villas is one of our Rental Assistance Demonstration Housing Properties.

Residents > Housing Programs > Housing Choice Voucher


About The Program

Please watch the Housing Choice Voucher informational video. This video will help you understand the program, eligibility, and how to apply. Watch video..

This is a Federal program for assisting low and very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing (that they choose) 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, townhouses or apartments. The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program. The program also allows its participants to use the voucher after the first year of admissions (if the applicant was not a current resident of Clark County when they applied) anywhere in the Nation. This segment of the program is entitled Portability. The term Section 8 is used to describe the various Housing Choice Voucher Programs.

The SNRHA has over 11,500 Housing Choice Vouchers that allow families to rent in the private market and receive a subsidy towards their rent. With this assistance, residents are able to pay approximately 30-40 percent of their annual adjusted income toward rent, while the SNRHA pays the remainder. The SNRHA helps provide housing to approximately 38,000 people under this program.

Housing choice vouchers are administered locally by the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority (SNRHA). SNRHA receives federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer the program.

A family that is issued a housing voucher is responsible for finding a suitable housing unit of the family's choice where the owner agrees to rent under the program. This unit may include the family's present residence if it meets program requirements. Rental units must meet minimum standards of health and safety as determined by SNRHA. The rent must be verified by SNRHA as reasonable. The family cannot pay more than 40% of their adjusted income during the first year of the lease.

A housing subsidy is paid to the landlord/owner directly by SNRHA via direct deposit 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:
Eligibility for a housing voucher is determined by SNRHA based on the total annual gross income and family size. Participation in this program is limited to US citizens and specified categories of non-citizens who have eligible immigration status as defined by HUD. In general, the family's income may not exceed 50% of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which the family chooses to live. By law, SNRHA must provide 75 percent of its vouchers to applicants whose incomes do not exceed 30 percent of the area median income (Federal extremely-low category). Median income levels are published by HUD and vary by location. See SNRHA income limits

You can check for availability by visiting the Current Waitlist Statuses and Applications Section on our How To Apply web page.



Payment Standards

The Payment Standards are the maximum amount of subsidy that the Housing Authority is allowed to pay on behalf of our clients for rental assistance according to their bedroom size. It is based on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Fair Market Rent Study. The income limits are HUD's established limits for initial income eligibility. Extremely-low and low-income is for Section 8 –Housing Choice Voucher Program. Low-income is for Public Housing. Income limits are established by the number of family members in the household at the time of admission into the program for which they have applied. See SNRHA income limits.

Reporting Changes in Household or Income:

If you have any changes in your household composition, including marriage or birth of a child, All changes must be completed through Rent Café under the website onlineportal.snvrha.org. within 10 calendar days of the change. Please Do Not Call, as that will not be considered as reporting the change. Caseworkers cannot accept changes over the phone. Please attach copies of the birth certificate, marriage license, or other related documents.

  • All income changes must also be reported within 10 Calendar Days. Please attach copies of pay stubs (at least 2) if you get a new job or a raise. If you lose your job, attach your original termination or layoff notice. Please ensure that your employer's address is on these documents.

  • Please remember that failure to report changes will result in the termination of your assistance!


HCV Participant Resources

Find HCV Housing:
Find a Housing Choice Voucher unit on the GoSection8.com website. Paid for by the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority, GoSection8.com is a national database of Section 8 - HCV rental units which allows clients to search for Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) rentals. It also allows owners and landlords to list their properties online.

Helpful Hints to Keep Your Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Assistance:
SNRHA has developed the "Helpful Hints Brochure" as a tool to assist you in being a successful Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) participant.

En Español: SNRHA creo este "Folleto de Consejos Provechosos" como un instrumento parayudarle en tener exito como un participante de la Seccion8.

Deconcentration Brochure:
The Housing Choice Voucher Program allows you to select units of your choice. Shop wisely to ensure you and your family locate a unit that best meets your needs. Here is our Deconcentration/Mobility Brochure that will assist you in making informed decisions.

More Resources:
It is our goal to assist all clients with every resource available to ensure not only your success in the program but also to provide you with tools to achieve self-sufficiency. Below are some links to information that may be helpful. Please contact our office at (702) 477-3100 if you have questions or require additional assistance.



HCV Landlord/Owner Resources

Landlord Briefing:
SNRHA has developed the attached presentation to better assist you in understanding this program. See the Landlord Briefing.

Housing Choice Voucher Owner’s Guide:
SNRHA has developed the brochure below to assist you in understanding this program. Please review and then contact our office at (702) 477-3100 if you have additional questions. See the HCV Owner’s Guide.

Landlord Listing:
List your Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) rental on the GoSection8.com website. Paid for by the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority, GoSection8.com is a national database of Section 8 - HCV rental units which allows clients to search for Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) rentals. It also allows owners and landlords to list their properties online. Click the Online Services link for more information on this service and other online services brought to you by the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority.

Online Landlord Vendor Payment Ledgers:
Online Landlord Vendor Payment Ledger information at your fingertips will be available through our new SNRHA Landlord Portal.

Automatic Deposits:
To authorize and request the SNRHA to deposit Housing Assistance Payments automatically to your account, you can download, fill out and submit the Automatic Deposit Form.

Intent to Vacate:
Both the tenant and the owner/manager MUST sign this form prior to the tenant vacating the unit. The tenant MUST provide a minimum of a 30-day written notice to their owner/manager or whatever timeline is noted within the lease. If this pertains to you, please fill out and submit the Intent to Vacate Form. If you decide to extend this notice to a date after the date on the notice, you must notify SNRHA staff in writing prior to the date.

More Resources:
It is our goal to provide our Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) owners and management team with every resource to ensure that you understand the program policies and have easy access to tools and information. Here are some items that should be useful and please contact our office at (702) 477-3100 if you have questions or require additional assistance.


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