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Housing Choice Vouchers

Housing Choice Vouchers

The Housing Choice Voucher program helps low-income families, individuals, seniors and people with disabiliies pay their monthly rent for apartments or houses in Seattle.

 

Through the Housing Choice Voucher program (formerly Section 8), SHA provides rental assistance for people with low incomes to rent from landlords throughout the Seattle rental market.

Participants in the program receive a housing subsidy in the form of a voucher that they can use to rent a unit from any landlord in Seattle who meets the requirements.

Households in this program earn 50 percent or less of area median income (AMI) to qualify, and pay the portion of rent and utilities not covered by the voucher—typically 30 to 40 percent of monthly income. Preference is given to households that are at 30 percent or less of AMI and those who are homeless.  

Eligibility

Applicants on the voucher list will be chosen at random when vouchers are available. Applicants need to meet several criteria and preferences at the time they are drawn from the list to be eligible. Read about eligibility.

How to apply for a Housing Choice Voucher

Book an appointment

Applicants, current voucher participants and landlords who wish to meet with Housing Choice Voucher staff in person are strongly encouraged to book an appointment.

Our Central Office hours are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.  Services are also available by phone, email or online. If you have questions please contact us.

Application for a chance to receive a Housing Choice Voucher (formerly known as a Section 8 voucher) is ongoing. Families and individuals may apply at any time. Find out how to apply.

Save my Spot

To remain active on the Housing Choice Voucher list, applicants are required to check in once every month using SHA's 24-hour automated Save My Spot system.

Renting with a voucher

See information about orientation, finding a rental, leasing, voucher payment standards, utility estimates, inspections and more.

Landlords

Over 1500 landlords partner with the Seattle Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher program to provide homes to members of our community with low incomes. Learn about the benefits of the program and how to participate.

Special Purpose Voucher Program

Learn about additional voucher programs such as the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI)Family Unification Program (FUP)Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) and Creating Moves to Opportunity (CMTO).

Administrative plan and policies

Seattle Housing Authority currently has an Administrative Plan for its Housing Choice Voucher Program. It explains the policies through which the agency administers the program. The plan has been approved by the Board of Commissioners.

Forms

Find Housing Choice Voucher forms that can be completed online or downloaded, printed, and returned.

 

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Seattle Housing Authority will, upon request, provide reasonable accommodation to help ensure that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability is excluded from participating in, or denied the benefit of, any agency program. More information

SHA will also provide language assistance upon request. More information