Dear SHA Applicants, Participants and Landlords,

The Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) is conducting business as usual and the HCVP staff will be working remotely to meet the needs of our community. The department has implemented the following changes:

Submission of Request for Tenancy Approval for New Admissions and Movers
All Request for Tenancy Approval Packets will need to be submitted by
E-mail to:  lhamilton@syrhousing.org
Drop-box: located outside of the Section 8 Entrance
Mail: 312 Gifford St. 9th floor, Syracuse, NY 13205
*For faster service e-mail is the best way for submission
All HAP Contracts will be sent via e-mail to owners/landlords for e-signatures, unless otherwise requested.
All vouchers will be extended upon request.

Inspections:
Due to COVID-19 a temporary waiver for Housing Quality Standard Inspections have been provided. Please note this process may change at any time without prior notice and an inspection will be required to be completed at a future date.
A Housing Quality Standard Inspection Self-Certification form will need to be completed. This document certifies that in good faith the owner/landlord believes the unit would pass an in-person HQS Inspection and has no reasonable basis or knowledge that life-threatening conditions exist in the unit. We will be completing some Housing Quality Standard Inspections by video or other online streaming services.  Our inspectors will continue to address emergency health and safety inspections.

Interim Recertifications
No Federal Stimulus money will be counted in your gross income, which includes additional money from unemployment. Your regular amount of NYS unemployment will be included. All request for decreases in income needs to be submitted to this office along with the proof. *For faster service, please e-mail your request and proof to your Housing Specialist.

Annual Recertifications:
Due to COVID-19 a temporary waiver for Annual Recertifications have been put in place to protect families from penalty for submission of late paperwork.
The Annual Recertification process may be delayed due to the pandemic.
All Annual recertifications may be conducted via e-mail to ensure the health and safety of our participants and staff, unless the participant cannot communicate via e-mail.

SHA apologizes for any inconvenience our changes may have caused, so please be patient with us as we try to limit disruptions in support of our families and business partners.

Thank you.
HCVP Management

 

Housing Choice Vouchers

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program is a federally funded program administered by local public housing agencies. The HCV program enables families to obtain decent, safe, and sanitary housing by subsidizing a portion of each tenant's monthly rent and paying it directly and promptly to the property owner.  Any type of private rental housing is eligible.  Single family dwellings, duplex units, row houses, manufactured homes, high rise buildings and townhouses are eligible.  Paperwork is minimal and the owner retains normal management rights and responsibilities, including tenant selection, rent collection, property maintenance, and lease termination.

A family receiving a voucher from SHA may use it in the City of Syracuse and surrounding communities. In addition, the family may be able to use the portability feature of the HCV program and move anywhere in the country.

The Syracuse Housing Authority currently serves over 3000 families through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. Annually, SHA provides approximately $20 million in Section 8 rental assistance to the greater-Syracuse area.

Applicants

OUR WAITING LIST WILL OPEN ON MARCH 25TH STARTING AT 7AM AND CLOSE ON MARCH 31ST AT 11PM.

Please be advised that in order to be eligible for the program, you must meet the income requirements.

Housing Choice Voucher Types

Tenant-Based Housing Choice Voucher

Project-Based Vouchers

Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)

Mainstream Vouchers

 

Tenant-Based Housing Choice Vouchers

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher is a federally funded program administered by SHA. The HCV program enables families to obtain decent, safe, and sanitary housing by subsidizing a portion of each tenant's monthly rent.

When an eligible applicant is selected from the wait list, they will be offered a voucher. Voucher participants must look for housing that is in good condition so that it will pass the Housing Quality Standards inspection and meet rent reasonableness standards. If approved, the Section 8 family will pay a percentage (generally, 30%) of its monthly income for shelter (rent plus utilities) and SHA pays the difference directly to the owner of the unit.

Under this program:

• A family that is issued a housing choice 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.
• Participants must be prepared to pay a security deposit.
• Property taxes must be current at that location.
• The rent must be reasonable in comparison to similar units.
• The Voucher participant and the Landlord have to sign a lease.
• The Landlord and SHA must sign a Housing Assistance Payment Contract.
• If the Voucher participant's income or family composition changes, they must report it to SHA within 30 days and their portion of the rent will be adjusted.
• Participants may not rent from close relatives unless the unit would provide reasonable accommodation for a disabled family member.

 

Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)Vouchers

The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers combines Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance for homeless Veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Mainstream Vouchers

Mainstream vouchers enable families having a non-elderly person with disabilities to lease affordable private housing of their choice. Mainstream vouchers also assist non-elderly persons with disabilities who often face difficulties in locating suitable and accessible housing in the private market. The Mainstream Vouchers are only for eligible non-elderly persons with disabilities and their families who are currently experiencing homelessness, at risk of experiencing homelessness, transitioning out of institutional or other segregated setting or at risk of institutionalization.

Housing Choice Voucher Programs

The Family Self-Sufficiency Advantage Program

Homeownership Program