Housing Choice Voucher Program

Section 8

The Housing Choice Voucher Program is a federally funded housing assistance program which is sometime called Section 8, which is a reference to the portion of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 under which the original subsidy program was authorized. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, (HUD) funds this program through the Pittsfield Housing Authority.

Housing choice vouchers allow very low-income families to choose and rent, safe, decent, and affordable rental housing. – HUD

PHA Administers this Program

The Housing Choice Voucher program is a partnership between PHA, the families who are prospective tenants and the owners of rental property in the community. We are available to explain and offer information about the program to current and future landlords and families. We are responsible to HUD for monitoring program performance and compliance of tenants and owners. To achieve this goal, we:

  • maintain waiting lists,
  • conduct criminal and sex offender checks of prospective tenants,
  • conduct interviews with prospective tenants for the Housing Choice program.

We also:

  • inspect and certify that the rental units meet minimum standards of health and safety
  • determine fair market rents and portion of rent that tenant will be required to pay.

The Pittsfield Housing Authority Section 8 waiting list is closed at this time.

Please call the office for information about portable vouchers.

For tenants

The program also offers better living conditions for low-income families while keeping rents affordable; supports freedom of housing choice and gives incentives to private owners to rent to lower income families. PHA and the family sign a Housing Choice Voucher agreement which spells out what the family must do to remain in the program. Find out more.

For rental property owners

PHA and the owner enter into a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract to setup the payment schedule. This assures that the owner will be paid what he is owed in a timely fashion. The owner and the family enter into a lease agreement which defines and governs the landlord tenant relationship. Even though all parties are important to the success of this program, the owner is the key. Without an owner offering affordable housing for eligible families, this program would not exist.  Find out more.