HUD Section 8

HUD Tenant-Based Portable Voucher Program

The MCDA administers 128 U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV). The Tenant-Based Housing Choice Voucher Program allows low-income families to live in privately owned homes of their choice by subsidizing a portion of their rent. This program gives families the flexibility to choose their own, safe apartments at an affordable cost. Voucher holders are responsible for finding an apartment that accepts Housing Choice vouchers in the private market.

  • The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program.
  • Housing choice vouchers are administered locally by public housing agencies (PHAs), like the MCDA.
  • 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. Rental units must meet minimum standards of health and safety, as determined by the PHA.

A housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by the PHA 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. Under certain circumstances, if authorized by the PHA, a family may use its voucher to purchase a modest home.

5-Year Plan

The MCDA produces a 5-Year PHA Plan to provide a source of policies, rules, and requirements regarding the MCDA's operations, programs, and services as well as the MCDA's mission for serving low-income and very low-income families.

Download the MCDA's current 5-Year PHA Plan.