What Is Housing Assistance?

Housing assistance is a federally-funded program that provides an affordable and safe home for low-income individuals, families, disabled and elderly.  The funds that are allocated to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are distributed to public housing authorities (PHA).  Normally, each county has its own public housing authority.  They determine who will receive housing assistance.  There are three types of housing assistance that are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):

• Low-rent apartments
• Public housing
• Section 8 housing

History

The federal governments attempts to help people in need of housing assistance started in the 1930’s.  This was during the Great Depression.  During this time, many people were without jobs and could not afford housing. Subsidies to help pay rent was initiated by the federal government.

The Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 introduced the Section 8 voucher program, which is still in use today.  Section 8 vouchers is a type of public housing assistance provided from the federal authorities. The Housing Choice Voucher Program is managed by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Besides Section 8 vouchers, Public Housing Authorities developed actual public housing.   These enormous tracts of flat blocks were built into communities.They gained popularity in the 1960’s.  These apartment blocks were intended for low-income families.  To this day, these communities exist across the nation.  Their popularity has diminished since housing vouchers became popular.

Who Receives Housing Assistance

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is determined by Housing Assistance offices  that are local.  They help determine eligibility for public housing assistance.  Factors determining qualification include:

• Gross income
• Handicap
• Elderly 
• Heads a household
• Candidate’s citizenship or qualified immigrants status

When applying to a Housing Association they will run a background check and also check your income.  The tenant payment (TP) is a formula used by HUD for determining a candidate’s income.    Housing Associations  make deductions from applicants paychecks, based on their gross income.