NOTICE:
DCA's Housing Choice Voucher Program wait lists are currently closed.
DCA’s Project Based Voucher Program wait lists are currently closed.
The Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8, is part of Georgia's comprehensive housing program administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). This is a tenant-based rental assistance program that assists extremely low and low income individuals and families rent safe, decent, and affordable dwelling units in the private rental market. The program was created by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 and is funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The goals of the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV) are to:
- Provide improved living conditions for extremely low and low income individuals and families while maintaining their rent payments at an affordable level;
- Affirmatively further fair housing for individuals and families;
- Promote freedom of housing choice and integrate lower income and minority persons into mainstream society;
- Provide decent, safe, and affordable housing for eligible participants; and
- Provide an incentive to private property owners to rent to lower income persons by offering timely subsidy payments.
The Department of Community Affairs provides the subsidy payment directly to the landlord on behalf of the program participant. The amount of the subsidy is based primarily upon the participant's income. DCA administers the program in 149 of Georgia's 159 counties through regional offices located around the State. The remaining 10 counties that DCA does not have jurisdiction are served by those county’s housing authority.
Housing Choice Voucher Program Funding
The Housing Choice Voucher Program is funded totally by federal funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. No State appropriations are used in the administration of this program.
Families who meet program and income eligibility are selected from DCA’s wait list when funding and vouchers are available. Once a family is selected for a Housing Choice Voucher, they are required to attend an informational briefing to learn about the program rules and of their obligations to the program. When the family receives their voucher, they are responsible for finding a housing unit that meets their voucher size. Once the family finds a unit that meets their voucher standard and the unit passes HUD’s Housing Quality Standards, DCA will begin the subsidy payment, on behalf of the family, directly to the landlord.
Portability refers to the ability to relocate and select housing anywhere in the United States with continued rental assistance. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) administers the Housing Choice Voucher Program within 149 of the state’s 159 counties. The 10 counties which DCA does not administer are: Bibb, Chatham, Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb (Decatur), Fulton (Atlanta), Glynn, Muscogee, Richmond and Sumter. These counties are served by their own respective housing authorities. If you wish to move to any of these counties, please contact the Housing Authority administering the Housing Choice Voucher for that county concerning your portability. See our Frequently Asked Questions about our Port-In procedures. This information should be used by voucher holders when transferring into our program from another housing authority.
If you wish to port to DCA’s jurisdiction, please have your information forwarded to:
Mail: Georgia Department of Community Affairs
ATTN: Cassandra Johnson
1854 Shackleford Court
Suite 400
Norcross, Georgia 30093
Phone: 470-645-6338
Fax: 770-679-8813
For wait list information,
PLEASE CALL 1-888-858-6085.
For more information on the Housing Choice Voucher Program,
please call 1-800-359-4663.
If immediate assistance is needed because you are homeless or threatening homelessness, please email HomelessInfo@dca.ga.gov. Additional information can be obtained through DCA's Homeless and Special Needs Housing.
