Section 8 Housing Explained: How to Get Help Paying Rent

Rent keeps rising, but one voucher can close the gap—if you know how to get it.

Section 8 (the Housing Choice Voucher program) helps pay a portion of your rent so you can afford a safe place to live. Here’s how to get on the right lists, stay active, and use a voucher without getting stuck. For readers in Chicago, Illinois, timelines and paperwork steps aren’t identical—plan around your area’s process.

Start Here: How to Get on a Voucher Waitlist (and Stay Active)

Getting help starts with your local Public Housing Agency (PHA). Because demand is high, most PHAs use waitlists and open them only at certain times.

• Search for PHAs in nearby cities or counties; you can apply to more than one.
• Watch for short application windows; some open for hours or days.
• Create a simple “waitlist tracker” with the list name, date applied, login details, and any preferences claimed (veteran, disability, homelessness).
• Read every confirmation email or letter—missing a response can drop you from the list.
• If your contact info changes, update every PHA the same week (phone, email, and mailing address).
• When a list is closed, sign up for alerts/newsletters and follow PHAs on social media for opening announcements.

Payment Standards & the 40% Rule: How Your Rent Share Is Set

Understanding the math helps you pick units you can actually afford with a voucher.

• Your family typically pays about 30% of adjusted monthly income toward rent and utilities.
• At move-in, PHAs cap your share around 40% of adjusted income to prevent rent shock.
• Each PHA sets “payment standards” by bedroom size and area rents; these are not rent caps, but the benchmark used to calculate the subsidy.
• The unit must pass a health and safety inspection and meet “rent reasonableness” (similar units, similar price).
• Strategy tip: If your voucher size is 2 bedrooms but a large 1-bedroom works, ask about “leasing in place” or using the smaller unit to widen your options.
• Keep utility costs in mind—your share is based on gross rent (rent + approved utilities you pay).

Openings, Preferences, and Portability: Why Timelines Differ by PHA

Two families can apply on the same day and have very different paths—because local rules and preferences matter.

• PHAs assign preferences (e.g., veterans, disability, homelessness, residency) that can move you up the list.
• Some PHAs require you to live in their area for the first 12 months if you didn’t already—plan your search accordingly.
• “Portability” lets you use your voucher in another jurisdiction; you’ll coordinate between your “initial” and “receiving” PHAs.
• If you get a voucher, you’ll have a set “search window” (often 60–120 days). Keep a simple search log (addresses, dates, outcomes) to document good-faith effort and to request extensions if needed.
• Landlord outreach matters: prepare a short script, proof of income, and a one-page renter “resume.” Ask about pre-screening before scheduling showings.
• If denied, request reasons in writing—sometimes a unit can be approved after a small repair or a corrected rent calculation.

“I’ve been told ‘we don’t take them’ hundreds of times.”
— Laura Hasselquist, Chicago
(WBEZ Chicago, “Section 8 tenants say they’re being turned away, despite laws against discrimination”)

FAQs for Chicago, Illinois

References