The Lehigh County Housing Authority (LCHA) administers a variety of housing programs in its quest to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing for low to moderate income individuals, families, seniors and the disabled.

The Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), formerly known as "Section 8", allows eligible participants who receive vouchers to search for their own privately owned housing, which may include single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments. The voucher program is a federally subsidized housing rental assistance program, funded and monitored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

· Applicants apply for the Voucher program with a pre application and get placed on a waiting list. LCHA follows HUD’s guidelines and issues 75% of all vouchers to families that meet HUD’s extremely low income limits each fiscal year. The housing authority will verify all gross income, assets and deductions at the time the families name comes up for a voucher based on selection criteria. LCHA will also perform criminal background checks and online checks. It is the family responsibility to keep LCHA updated on their address, income and family members in writing.

LCHA has preferences for selecting applicants from the waiting list. They include: families displaced by government action, veterans, families living in units designated affordable paying more than 30% of their income towards rent, and people living, working or attending school in LCHA jurisdiction which excludes the cities of Allentown and Bethlehem.

· Current Participants find a rental unit that meets the requirements of the program. The unit must be inspected and be affordable. The family will pay a portion of the rent based on a percentage, roughly 30%, of their adjusted monthly income and the remaining housing subsidy is paid directly to the landlord by LCHA on behalf of the family. The family must follow HUD’s family obligations in accordance with the voucher program which include, reporting all income, reporting changes in household members, allowing yearly inspections, completing yearly recertifications, following their lease requirements, paying their portion of rent and utilities. LCHA does not pay security deposits for the participants, only rent.

· Incoming portability participants must have their current Housing Authority send their paperwork to LCHA before being given an appointment to meet with our staff. Please make sure you are searching for a unit within LCHA’s jurisdiction which excludes the cities of Allentown or Bethlehem. Allentown and Bethlehem have their own housing authorities. We have a listing of LCHA’s assisted areas that you can download here.

· Landlords play an important role in the voucher program because without them providing affordable housing for participants this program would cease to exist. Landlords screen prospective tenants, perform maintenance on the unit to keep it compliant with HUD’s Housing Quality Standards, signs a lease with the tenant, perform all management and rental functions, and sign a HAP contract with LCHA. The HAP payment is paid directly to the landlord. As a landlord if you have never participated with the voucher program but are interested or current landlords who have available units to list please contact our office for more information, or click here to download the form if you want to list a unit with our office. Please follow the instructions listed on the form.” . We would love to have you participate!

· Family Self Sufficiency Program – Please click here for information about our FSS program.

www.pahousingsearch.com Landlords and tenants alike may find this website useful to search for units or to list units for rent.

If you have been selected to receive a voucher and have been instructed to watch the briefing video please click the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dbTUeXi10U&feature=youtu.be