Does Credit Score Affect Section 8 Recipients?

The Section 8 housing voucher is a housing assistance program made available for low-income families through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

There are different eligibility criteria for families to be approved for the Section 8 housing voucher, with the major one being that they must be low-income families or individuals who earn below the average median income in their area.

This average median income is usually set by the Department of Public Housing Authority, or PHA, which considers the assets and income of eligible families for government housing assistance.

Does Credit Score Disqualify You From Getting Section 8?

The credit score has no bearing on your Section 8 eligibility because the HUD does not require it as a criterion for housing assistance recipients to register.

However, the HUD grants landlords of Section 8 housing the authority to conduct a background check on prospective tenants before accepting them into their property.

Because of the authority granted by the HUD, your Section 8 landlord may conduct a credit check on you and other applicants before accepting your application to stay on his or her property.

The landlord checks not just the credit score but also focuses on whether the applicant has a bad history of owning rental payments, has a criminal record, the number of family members intending to stay in the property, and any other related issues that could disqualify your application.

However, your credit score is not a basis for disqualification from being a recipient of a Section 8 housing voucher.

What Can Disqualify You From Getting Section 8?

Here are some of the reasons why you might not be able to get your Section 8 approved.

• You or a member of your family is convicted of drug-related crimes on a Section 8 property or area
• Violent criminal activities by a member of the family and alcohol abuse
• Overall family income is above the average median income set by the Public Housing Authority (PHA)
• You’ve been registered as a sex offender
• Your family has a long history of late rent payments

Does Bad Credit Affect Section 8 Recipients?

Your credit score does not affect your eligibility for Section 8 housing assistance. However, landlords can carry out a credit check on you to determine if you can pay rent if approved.

There is no minimum or maximum credit score check; all that is required is for you to have enough funds to pay your rent when due.

If your prospective Section 8 landlord checks your background and possibly your credit score and finds out that you have a past of chronic lateness in rent payment and not enough funds to pay for the subsidized apartment by the government, he or she may not accept your application.

This is because you may possess a property that is too risky to manage and rent payments may not come as often as required.

To avoid this sort of disqualification due to past payment records, it is best if you offset all owed bills and rent payments as you apply for another Section 8 housing voucher.

This would assure your landlord that you are capable of paying rent, and your application would be immediately approved without wasting time. You and members of your family must be law-abiding citizens who are ready to go through with the rules of the Section 8 property and the landlord.

Conclusion

It is important to note that the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) does not request a credit score check on applicants. Therefore, beware of false online claims and fraudsters. If you are not sure of a particular Section 8 housing procedure, go to your local PHA office to make inquiries about them to ensure your application is adequately processed.