New Avenues to Independence, Inc. Providing services for individuals with disabilities since 1952.
SECTION 8 FAQs
Copyright © 2004 - 2008 New Avenues to Independence, Inc. All rights reserved.
Revised: September 13, 2008.
The purpose of New Avenues' Section 8 Mainstream program is to provide rental subsidy through Housing Choice Vouchers to enable individuals
with disabilities to rent affordable private housing. New Avenues has developed this the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to
help prospective applicants in determining whether or not to apply for a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher through New Avenues.
- What is a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher?
- How is New Avenues' Section 8 program different?
- Who is eligible to apply for a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher?
- How does one apply for a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher?
- What other services does New Avenues provide in addition to rental subsidy?
- What are the restrictions associated with the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher?
What is Section 8 Housing
Choice Voucher?
A Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher is tenant-based rental subsidy that allows very low-income families to choose and
lease or purchase safe, decent, and affordable privately-owned rental housing.
How is New Avenues' Section 8 Program Different?
New
Avenues' program is a Section 8 Mainstream Housing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Program, specifically for individuals
and families with disabilities. New Avenues' service area is Cuyahoga, Lake and Ashtabula counties. Therefore, Section 8 program participants
can use their Housing Choice Vouchers anywhere in this tri-county area.
Who is eligible to apply for a Section 8 Housing Choice
Voucher?
Adults ages 18 and older who have a disability are eligible for New Avenues' Section 8 program. According to HUD regulations,
to be eligible for New Avenues' Section 8 Mainstream Program, an applicant must be a person with a disability as defined by the following:
a)
has a disability as defined in section 223 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 423), or
b) is determined to have a physical
, mental, or emotional impairment that:
i. is expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration;
ii. substantially impedes his or her ability to live independently; and
iii. is of such a nature that such ability
could be improved by more suitable housing conditions; or
c) has a developmental disability as defined in section 102 of the
Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act [42 U.S.C. 6001(5)] .
The term “person with disabilities” does not
exclude persons who have the disease of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or any condition arising from the etiologic agent
for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV).
The family’s eligibility for a voucher is made in accordance with the eligibility
factors. Eligibility factors may not be determined before the family is placed on the waiting list, but will be determined and verified
before a voucher is issued.
How does one apply for a Section Housing Choice Voucher?
There is only one way to apply for a Section
8 Housing Choice Voucher through New Avenues. You must apply when our wait list is open. We do not accept referrals. When our wait
list is open, we will notify the public by publishing a public notice in local newspapers. At that time, interested applicants will
be able to get an application and submit it to New Avenues to get on our wait list.
What other services does New Avenues provide
in addition to rental subsidy?
In addition to the rental subsidy, New Avenues provides the following services to both program participants
and landlords:
- housing search assistance
- housing counseling
- landlord recruitment
- accessibility and modification technical assistance to landlords
- landlord/tenant mediation
- case management
- fair housing advocacy
What are the restrictions associated with the Section
8 Housing Choice Voucher?
The primary restriction associated with the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher is income-eligibility.
Applicants and participants in New Avenues' Section 8 Mainstream Program must meet very low-income requirements. In addition,
individuals must be a participant in the program in our jurisdiction (Cuyahoga, Lake and Ashtabula counties) for at least 12-months
before they can "port" or leave our program and take their Housing Choice Voucher to another Section 8 program elsewhere.
17608 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44112
(216) 481-1907
Thomas M. Lewins
Executive Director
2010 Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Bruce Sherman, Ph.D.
President
Jonathon
Good, Esq.
Vice President
Bob Angart
Treasurer
Donald Petrash
Secretary
Michael Primrose
Non-Officer Representative
Directors
Edward
A. Boehmer
Joyce Bresler
Ronald Henderson, Esq.
Daniel Koster
Ken Light
Brian Mackert
Joan Potiker
Director
Emeritus