Applicant Information

SECTION 8 PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

Section 8 assistance is available only to U.S. citizens, non-citizens with legal immigration status, and "mixed families" (families in which at least one, but not all members are U. S. citizens). Assistance to mixed families will be prorated. The same program rules and regulations for determining eligibility status for Section 8 rental assistance apply to everyone.

To be eligible, the household must be either a family or a single person whose income does not exceed the area limits as set by HUD. HUD establishes annual income limits by family size as:

Extremely Low Income = 30% of area median income
Very Low Income = 50% of area median income
Low Income = 80% of area median income.

HUD's income limits for the Los Angeles area are in the table below. Only families meeting Extremely Low and Very Low Income standards are eligible for Section 8 assistance. Low Income standards are used only when, under certain circumstances, owners convert from a project-based to a tenant-based program. Congress requires that 75% of new admissions to the tenant-based program and 40% of new admissions to the project-based programs be Extremely Low Income. The remaining new admissions may not exceed the Very Low Income limit. 
 
 

FY 2009 Public Housing & Section 8 Income Limits (Effective 3/19/2009) 

  

# of Persons

Extremely Low Income - 30% of Median

Very Low Income - 50% of Median

Low Income - 80% of Median

1

16,650

27,750

44,400

2

19,050

31,700

50,750

3

21,400

35,700

57,100

4

23,800

39,650

63,450

5

25,700

42,800

68,550

6

27,600

46,000

73,600

7

29,500

49,150

78,700

8

31,400

52,350

83,750
 
The eight-person limit is 132% of the four-person limit. For families with more than eight persons, for each person in excess of 8, add 8% of the four-person base to the eight person income limit, then round to the nearest $50. For example the Extremely Low limit for a nine-person family would be 132% + 8% or 140% of the four-person base of 22,750. 140% x 22,750 = 31,850.

The Section 8 application process is closed until further notice.


Content Last Updated: October 2009