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Currently, the Housing Choice Voucher (formerly known as Section 8) waitlist is closed. HACA last opened its Housing Choice Voucher Program waitlist from Sept. 17 through Sept. 24, 2018.
Limited federal funding for vouchers restricts how many families HACA can serve. HACA randomly selected 2,000 pre-applications through a lottery to be placed on the waitlist. If you applied during this time period, you may find out whether you were selected in the random lottery through our application checker.
You will need either your Social Security Number or your confirmation number, as well as your date of birth.
If you have been selected for placement on the 2018 HCV waitlist, you may create an account on HACA’s Applicant Portal, where you can make changes to your application and check your waitlist number.
If you were not selected in the random lottery, you may apply for a number of HACA public housing and Project-Based Rental Assistance properties at www.hacaapply.org.
For information about other affordable housing resources, please click here.
A PATH TO A BETTER LIFE
Sometimes a family just needs a little help to give them a chance at a solid future. With the HCV program, HACA pays a portion of an eligible families’ rent directly to a private landlord. The family does their share and pays between 30 – 40% of their monthly income toward rent so that they may budget and save.
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program assists low-income families to more easily afford quality rental housing within the private rental market. HACA receives its funding for the program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Currently, the Housing Choice Voucher (formerly known as Section 8) waitlist is closed. You may apply for a number of HACA public housing and Project-Based Rental Assistance properties at www.HACAapply.org. For information about other affordable housing resources, please
click here.
While on the program, families can use their vouchers to rent a house, duplex, or apartment within the Austin area. Click here to find a place to live using a your Housing Choice Voucher. Your browser will be redirected to AffordableHousing.com. A public posting of available units is also offered at HACA’s Central Office located at 1124 S. IH-35, Austin, TX 78704, for your convenience only.
New families receive a voucher and Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) packet at the initial orientation and are assigned to an Intake Housing Eligibility Specialist (HES). Established families who are already on the program receive a Voucher and RFTA packet at the annual recertification appointment and are temporarily re-assigned to an Intake HES during the moving process.
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is a federal program. Families with an active housing choice voucher can transfer their assistance to any other city in the country that has a HCV Program. This program feature is known as portability. When a family transfers their voucher from another housing authority into Austin, it is called “porting in.”
HACA strives to nurture and promote opportunities for individuals and families so they can become financially independent. We offer a wide range of programs that provide hope and purpose. Some of these initiatives include: the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program, down payment assistance, and scholarships.
HUD requires an annual review of all HCV participants. HACA schedules annual appointments about 3 months before the lease expires and annual HQS inspections about 4 months before the lease expires. (Recertifications by mail are available to clients with disabilities as a reasonable accommodation.)
A family’s income determines a family’s rent portion. Families must report required changes timely so that HACA can accurately calculate rent portions.
HUD requires Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspections before move-in and annually to ensure subsidized units are in good, safe, decent, and sanitary condition. If the owner does not maintain HQS, a complaint inspection may be performed.
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If you need to reach a landlord specialist, landlord@hacanet.org.
The Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program combines HUD Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by Veterans Affairs. HUD-VASH reduces veteran homelessness by providing funding for both the housing and supportive services for thousands of veterans nationwide, including those who call Austin home.
The VA makes referrals, verifies the veteran’s homeless status, and provides case management. Veterans must comply with a case management program through the VA in order to continue receiving assistance. The VASH program is administered in accordance with the regular HCV requirements.
VASH participants are selected by the local VA clinic through the Coordinated Assessment system and referred to HACA for final eligibility screening and enrollment.
If you are currently experiencing homelessness, please complete a 50-question survey called Coordinated Assessment by visiting The Salvation Army Downtown Shelter, The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, or by calling ECHO at (512) 234-3630 and completing an assessment over the phone. Completing Coordinated Assessment can also help link you to housing solutions beyond what HACA provides.
The Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) program is a permanent housing program for individuals who are disabled, under age 62, and are being discharged from a nursing home. HACA partners with ARCIL (Austin Resource Center for Independent Living), who provides supportive services to the assisted family. Interested applicants must contact ARCIL to coordinate a referral to HACA and be placed on the waiting list. For information on applying, please contact Jeremy Dufner at ARCIL at (512) 828-4624 or Jeremy@arcil.com.
Through a partnership with Lifeworks and the Texas Department of Family Protective Services, HACA provides temporary rental assistance for young people, age 18-21, who aged out of the foster care system.
Youth applicants must contact Lifeworks to request a referral and be placed on the waiting list.
Lifeworks (for youth applicants)
Julie Baker
(512) 735-2490
Julie.baker@lifeworksaustin.org
Families qualify for the Family Unification Program (FUP) when a lack of adequate housing either (a) prohibits children from being re-united with their families, or (b) is the cause for the Department of Family Protective Services to initiate the removal of children from their families. The family must have an active DFPS case to be considered for FUP.
Families must contact the Texas Department of Family Protective Services to request a referral and be placed on the waiting list.
Staci Love
(254) 424-7469
HACA administers the Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation for Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Program for the purpose of providing rental assistance for homeless individuals. Rental assistance is tied directly to SRO units at Foundation Communities’ Garden Terrace property. For more information on applying for housing at Garden Terrace, call the property at (512) 416-8300.
Formerly known as Shelter Plus Care, the Continuum of Care (CoC) program is Permanent Supportive Housing for chronically homeless individuals and families. Through partnerships with Integral Care and AIDS Services of Austin, HACA’s CoC participants receive intensive case management services for housing stability and access to crucial mainstream resources. CoC participants are selected through the Coordinated Assessment system.
If you are currently experiencing homelessness, please complete a 50-question survey called Coordinated Assessment by visiting The Salvation Army Downtown Shelter, The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, or by calling ECHO at (512) 234-3630 and completing an assessment over the phone. Completing Coordinated Assessment can also help link you to housing solutions beyond what HACA provides.
The TBRA program provides rental assistance for homeless families. Homeless families who are living in shelters can receive a temporary coupon through the TBRA Program. The Passages Program provides supportive case management services, while HACA subsidizes the rent for one year. Interested applicants must contact a Passages case manager for a referral to HACA.
Partner Contact Information:
Passages
Rick Rivera
(512) 634-5919
Enrique_Rivera@uss.salvationarmy.org
The Short-Term Rental Assistance (STRA) program provides rental assistance for chronically homeless individuals who have tri-morbid conditions, meaning they have co-occurring psychiatric, substance abuse, and chronic medical conditions and are in need of additional support systems. Austin Travis County Integral Care (ATCIC) staff provides supportive case management services for participants while receiving housing assistance. Interested applicants must be referred by ATCIC through Coordinated Assessment.
If you are currently experiencing homelessness, please complete a 50-question survey called Coordinated Assessment by visiting The Salvation Army Downtown Shelter, The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, or by calling ECHO at (512) 234-3630 and completing an assessment over the phone. Completing Coordinated Assessment can also help link you to housing solutions beyond what HACA provides.
All pre-applications must be submitted ONLINE at www.HACAapply.org. You can apply anywhere they have internet access, from a home computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet. If you do not have internet access at home, you can apply at any public computer with internet access. We have provided a listing of free computer resources at https://www.hacanet.org/residents/assisted-housing/.
Computers will not be provided at the HACA central location.
If additional assistance is needed due to a disability, please call 1-888-335-0350 for assistance.
For every person listed on the application, you will need:
1. Full names
2. Social Security Numbers (if applicable)
3. Birth dates
4. Estimated Gross Income
5. Valid mailing address
To be eligible to apply, you must be an adult or a legally emancipated minor, and must not be currently receiving assistance through the HCV voucher program. If a debt to HACA is owed, you are still eligible to apply. However, that debt must be paid in full to be eligible to receive HCV assistance.
Eligibility will not be determined at the time you apply. Rather, if you make it onto the waiting list, eligibility will be determined when your name gets to the top of the list. At that time, HACA will review the following eligibility categories to determine if you qualify.
1. Does the makeup of the family meet the definition of family used by HACA?
2. Is the total gross household income below the income limits for the program at that time?
3. Does the family meet the criteria regarding citizenship or eligible immigration status?
4. Has the family disclosed all Social Security numbers and signed all required consent forms?
5. Have all adult household members passed the criminal background check?
6. Are any adult household members on any registered sex offender list?
7. Does the family owe a debt to HACA or any other federally assisted housing program?
8. Has the family been evicted from federally assisted housing within the past 5 years (from the date the family’s eligibility determination is made, not the date of application)?
For a full explanation of each of these eligibility categories, please click here.
HACA will receive pre-applications submitted online between noon on Sept. 17 and 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 24. After the waiting list closes, HACA will begin the process of reviewing all submitted pre-applications. All duplicate and incomplete pre-applications will be removed. Each household can only have one pre-application in the lottery.
Each complete, unduplicated pre-application will be randomly assigned a number. The pre-applications that have been randomly assigned numbers one through 2,000 will move forward to the next step in the process.
After placing the chosen pre-applications onto the waiting list in the order of one through 2,000, HACA will apply the preferences claimed by these families. This will determine the order of families on the waiting list. It will not matter on which open day the applicant applied (the first or the last) or from what location or device; every complete, unduplicated pre-application that is submitted will have an equal chance in the lottery.
HACA will complete the lottery no later than October 15, 2018. You may find out whether you were chosen in the random lottery through our application checker.
You will need either your Social Security Number or your confirmation number as well as your date of birth.
You must enter this information exactly as it is on your pre-application.
When you enter this information into the application checker, you will receive a message notifying you if you have been selected or not. If you are not selected in the lottery, please visit our resource page to learn about other housing options.
If you are selected, you will be directed to the Applicant Portal where you can set-up your account. In the Applicant Portal, you can check your number on the waiting list, update your current mailing address and report any changes in household members (adding or deleting).
Once families are placed on the waiting list in the order of the random lottery, preferences are applied. A preference moves the family above families without a preference. All families with a preference are put in order by their lottery number Listed after families with preferences will be all the families without preferences in order by their lottery number.
The HCV waiting list offer the following preferences:
1. Elderly Preference. If the head of household, co-head, spouse are age 62 or older, the family qualifies for this preference.
2. Disabled Preference. If the head of household, co-head or spouse is disabled, according to the HUD definition of disability, the family qualifies for this preference.
3. Families with Minor Children. If the family has minor children in the household, the family qualifies for this preference.
4. Involuntarily Displaced. If the family has been involuntarily displaced by natural disaster or government action within 6 months of the time of application, the family qualifies for this preference.
5. Homeless. If the family meets the HUD definition of Homeless and has a referral from a homeless service provider, the family qualifies for this preference.
6. Residency. If the family lives within the five-county Central Texas area (Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop and Caldwell), the family qualifies for this preference.
Preferences will be verified at the time the family is invited for an interview. If at a later date after submitting the pre-application a family qualifies for a preference, the preference can then be claimed. Preferences can be claimed at any time.
Families that are on the waiting list are required to keep all their information current. To do this, families must create an account in the online Applicant Portal at www.myhaca.org.
In the Applicant Portal, families can do the following:
1. Check what number they are on the waiting list;
2. Change their mailing address;
3. Update their email address and phone numbers;
4. Make changes to family members to be included on the application (adding or deleting).
The Applicant Portal is the primary way for families to communicate with HACA regarding their application while on the waiting list.
It is extremely important for families to keep their information current. When the family name comes to the top of the waiting list, HACA will send a letter inviting the family to an eligibility interview. HACA will use the address listed on file. Failure to keep a current mailing address could result in missing the opportunity to receive housing assistance.
The Housing Authority of the City of Austin does not provide immediate housing. At this time the housing authority is accepting applications for the public housing program. Once an application is filled out, applicants are placed on a waiting list according to the date and time of their application, size of the unit for which they qualify (public housing only) and local preference for which they may qualify. For immediate temporary housing, please contact the Salvation Army.
The waiting list is updated monthly on the HACA Web site. You may download the latest Wait Lists at www.hacanet.org/waitlists.
Call the portability counselor in the Housing Choice Voucher Department at (512) 477-1314 Ext. 1342 or portability@hacanet.org. To fax information, send it to (512) 494-0686.
HACA has a Down Payment Assistance Program. The program provides a maximum loan of $10,000 on a first come, first serve basis to residents who meet the criteria. Residents must be a first time home buyer or cannot have owned a home in the last three years. A minimum of $2,500 must also be contributed toward the down payment, closing cost or reserves. Residents must then qualify for a first lien mortgage and have received first mortgage financing from a private financial institution. Lastly, a HACA-approved home buyer training course must be passed. To learn more or download an application, visit www.hacanet.org/residents/homeownership.php.
You can start by listing your unit at GoSection8.com.
Download the HQS checklist.
View the current utility allowances.
Tenants in the Housing Choice Voucher program will pay between 30 to 40 percent of their household income toward rent.
Changes in income must be reported in writing by completing an “Assisted Housing Update” form. Forms must be submitted within 30 days of the date the income change became effective. (Ex. If your started working on March 5, you must report your change by April 5.) You may email, mail, fax, or personally turn in your update form at the central HACA office.
You must complete the “Assisted Housing Update” form. Any person requested to be added to a household will be treated as a new applicant and must meet HACA’s admission screening criteria. Please see Add-On Fact Sheet for more information.
You must complete the “Assisted Housing Update” form.
You must first submit a work order in writing to your landlord and retain a copy for yourself. If the requested repair is not completed within a reasonable amount of time, you may request a complaint HQS inspection. You must submit your request for a complaint inspection in writing to your Housing Eligibility Specialist along with a copy of the work order you turned into your landlord. The owner or property manager is required to repair deficiency items within 30 days or 24 hours for life threatening deficiencies.
If your voucher expires before you turn in the “Request for Tenancy Approval Packet,” your assistance may be terminated. To prevent this you must request a voucher extension before your voucher expires. Please put your request in writing and submit it to your Intake Eligibility Specialist. You can e-mail, mail, fax or submit your request in person at the central HACA office.
No. Security deposits and fees are the family’s responsibility.
Provide your prospective landlord with the “Request for Tenancy Approval Packet.” After the landlord completes the packet, it is the family’s responsibility to make sure the packet is turned into the Housing Authority so that the inspection can be requested.
After the RFTA is turned in, your Intake Housing Eligibility Specialist will check to see if the unit is affordable and request the inspection. The inspector will contact the owner/landlord to schedule an inspection. Inspections are usually completed within 5 business days from the receipt of the RFTA.
You can move in and sign your new lease after the unit passes inspection. If you are still under a lease with your former landlord, the Housing Authority cannot start paying until the day after your previous lease ends. If you move in before this date, you are responsible for paying any rent incurred.
You should pay the amount shown on the rent estimates you received when you got your voucher.
