Housing Choice Voucher Program

• Be a lifetime registered sex offender
• Be convicted of manufacturing methamphetamines on public housing¹

¹Housing Choice Voucher Program Section 8 | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

SCHA calculates the subsidy amount based on the participant family’s income. Participants pay at least 30% of their income toward rent and utilities.

When an applicant is placed on the waiting list, the timeline from submission to move-in can vary depending on waitlist placement and availability.

However, once an applicant is screened and determined eligible, the process will last the duration of the following steps:

The Suisun City Housing Authority (SCHA) issues a voucher and Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) packet to the applicant.

1. The applicant gives the RFTA packet to the landlord of their desired unit, and the landlord is responsible for filling out the paperwork.
2. Once the landlord has filled out and submitted the packet to the SCHA, the SCHA will determine if the applicant is eligible within two weeks.
3. The SCHA will then perform an inspection of the unit to make sure that it is habitable and meets program requirements.
4. After the unit passes inspection, a new lease and Housing Assistance Payments contract are executed, and the SCHA may begin housing assistance. Checks are disbursed to landlords at the beginning of each month. A prorated amount will be paid if the contract starts after the first.

A family can keep a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher for as long as they remain eligible under the program's rules. There is no fixed time limit for how long a family can participate, but continued assistance depends on meeting the following conditions:

1. Income Eligibility:
   The family's income must not exceed program limits. If their income grows beyond the maximum allowed for eligibility, their assistance will end. However, some Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) allow families to continue renting their unit without assistance if they temporarily exceed the income threshold.
2. Compliance with Program Rules include but are not limited to:
   • Paying their share of the rent on time.
   • Properly maintaining the rental unit.
   • Abiding by lease terms and not engaging in criminal activity or fraud.
   • Reporting all income and household composition changes in a timely manner.

The Housing Choice Voucher program is administered locally. Families or individuals that move from one Public Housing Authority (PHA) jurisdiction to another must refer to the PHA that is responsible for administering housing assistance at their new location to account for any change in moving policies and procedures between jurisdictions. Transferring jurisdictions is known as “portability.”