When you arrive at the eligibility interview, your local PHA will give you an overview of how the Section 8 program works.

The interviewer will give you detailed explanations of the requirements of the program, verification procedures, and possible repercussions for providing inaccurate information.

Ensure you have all the required documents with you as your interview will request for them to confirm the information provided on your application. You will also be asked a series of questions to verify that you’re eligible to receive a voucher.

During the interview or immediately after, you will need to go through multiple screening reviews on some of your histories related to renting, drug abuse, housekeeping, and criminal charges. Know that you could still be denied a voucher at this point.

Depending on your local PHA’s policies, you may be required to attend the interview alone as the applicant or with all the rest of your household. If you applied to a location that requires you to travel, you should still be prepared to attend at least one interview.

Using Your Housing Choice Voucher

As a general rule, your voucher must only be used for a housing unit within your PHA’s jurisdiction (service area). The Housing Choice Vouchers can be used on the following kinds of units:

• Any privately owned apartments or houses that are within the Section 8 protected areas. In some parts of the country, there are laws that do not allow discrimination against sources of income, including section 8 vouchers. You can check with your PHA to know if the area you applied to has such a law.
• Any apartments or houses privately owned by a landlord that accepts voucher payment.
• Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units, Section 515 Rural Rental Housing units, or HOME units that do not have any other rental assistance subsidy attached to them.

You can not use a housing choice voucher in any of the following kinds of housing units:

• School dormitories
• Public or private institution units like mental institutes, hospitals, reformatory institutes, and the likes
• Housing units that already provide some form of rental subsidy.