Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV)
Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV)
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, also known as Section 8, allows low-income families to choose and lease safe, decent, and affordable privately-owned rental housing. The voucher provides tenant-based subsidies for rents paid by low-income households based on their income. The housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by South Metro Housing Options on behalf of the participating family. The family pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program.
South Metro Housing Options (SMHO) administers the HCV program in the City of Littleton and unincorporated Arapahoe County, in addition to the voucher program for the Division of Housing within Arapahoe and Douglas County. Annually, SMHO pays over $4 million in subsidies to local landlords through the HCV program.
The voucher holder signs a lease with the landlord and must meet the requirements under each individual lease. SMHO conducts preliminary criminal background checks on each HCV participant, with landlords using their own screening criteria when determining the eligibility of the tenant.
Each unit selected by the voucher holder is inspected and must meet Housing Quality Standards (HQS) as established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The owner of the unit signs a contract with SMHO assuring that the unit will be maintained in accordance with the standards.
SMHO acts as a funding source, making up the difference between what the resident pays (approximately 30%-40% of their adjusted income) and the total rent on the unit. Rents are reviewed for reasonableness, and units are inspected each year to ensure they meet HQS standards.
Once a person is accepted into the Housing Choice Voucher Program, they must remain in good standing. That requires being a considerate neighbor, paying their rent on time, reporting any changes in the members of their household or their income to their HCV specialist, ensuring that their house or unit is kept up to HUD standards, and certifying any changes.
Portability in the HCV program refers to the process through which the family can transfer or “port” their rental subsidy when they move to a location outside the jurisdiction of the HCV administering agency that first gave them the voucher when they were selected for the program.
Your Housing Authority will begin the process by sending a portability package to SMHO. We will send you an email requesting that you complete the online intake certification via RentCafe, which includes a background check.
This process takes 2-3 weeks depending on how soon the paperwork is submitted before you are notified of approval.
Click HERE for a brochure on how Portability works.
For housing agencies starting the porting process, submit your portability packets to portability@smho.co.
- Due to a high demand for Housing Choice Vouchers, a waitlist is used.
- You may apply for a Housing Choice Voucher during open periods of the waitlist.
- Applications are submitted online by clicking the “Apply Here” button above during waitlist openings.
- When the waitlist is open the button will be green in color and the link will take you directly to the Applicant portal.
- Must be 18 years or older to apply.
- A valid email address is required. Many free services are available to create one, including Google and Yahoo.
- If you do not have access to an electronic device, you can visit your local library.
- People needing a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application process should contact SMHO at (303) 794-9608.