Rental Assistance Program

The Jefferson County Section 8 Rental Assistance Program administers the Certificate or Rental Voucher Program, which pays a portion of housing rental fees for low-income families. The county Housing Authority (HA) enters into contractual relationships with three parties:  U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the property owner, and the tenant.

The Housing Authority has four broad areas of responsibility.  It:

• Certifies and recertifies tenants
• Approves housing quality standards and leases>
• Issues Housing Assistance Payments to owner
• Monitors program performance and compliance with Federal, State and local rules

Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) now have the authority to deny occupancy to applicants on the basis of illegal drug-related activities and alcohol abuse, and to evict residents who are involved with such activities.  It is important to note that an arrest or conviction is not necessary to trigger eviction.  Residents on the lease are responsible for conduct of the entire household.

The new One-Strike drug policy authorizes PHAs to gain access to criminal records through the National Criminal Information Center (NCIC) database, which is managed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

For more information about this program please contact Lola Hightower at (850) 342-0175.

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