What is Affordable Housing?
Housing is considered affordable if it costs about one-third or less of what the people living there get in income. In addition to HUD / VASH program, local principalities also provide a wide range of housing opportunities depending on:
HUD-VASH Voucher Program
HUD-VASH is a program from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs VA to help veterans and their families find and sustain permanent housing. HUD provides rental assistance vouchers for privately owned housing to veterans who are eligible for VA health care and are experiencing homelessness. VA case managers connect these veterans with additional support services.
Housing Choice Voucher
Section 8, also known as the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, works as a rental subsidy that allows families to pay a reasonable amount of their income toward their rent. Eligible families will receive a voucher to begin searching for housing. Generally, families will pay no more than 40 percent of their adjusted monthly income toward their rent share. NYCHA pays the remaining amount to the owner on the family's behalf. This payment to the owner is known as the Housing Assistance Payment. Section 8 participants must comply with all program requirements, including completing their annual certification, accommodating Housing Quality Standards inspections, allowing property owners to make any needed repairs, and adhering to the terms of their lease.
Supportive Housing
Supportive housing is affordable housing with supportive social services in place for individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Supportive housing typically comes in two setting model types: congregate (the only one developers work with) and scattered-site. In the Congregate Housing model, all tenants live in one building and each has his/her own individual room or apartment. Tenants have their own lease and pay rent directly to the landlord. These buildings typically have a rental subsidy connected to the apartment that allows the rent to be very affordable for the tenant. In a scattered-site model, apartments are scattered throughout the city in different buildings owned by private landlords. Leases are most often between the landlord and a non-profit provider. All tenants have a sub-lease and are responsible to contribute 30% of their income towards the rent and utilities. There are supportive housing programs designated for adult families (all adults over 18), for families with children, and for young adults (18-25) aging out of foster care or in a shelter who are pregnant or have children. As with all populations, a 2010e application must be submitted to determine if the head of household is eligible for supportive housing.