How much your section 8 will pay for your rent in California?

Answer 1

The Housing Choice Voucher, formerly known as Section 8, has payment standards by which a dwelling is subsidized. It subsidizes the rent of the dwelling, up to a certain amount, known as the payment standards for the area, minus your portion of the rent and a utility allowance (what the average person pays in utility cost for the type of dwelling you are eligible to rent). Payment standards, which ranges between 90 and 110 percent of fair market rents (FMR's) in the area served by the public housing authority (PHA), are set according to the number of bedrooms the family is eligible to rent of unit of. For example, a family of either one person or a married couple is eligible for a one-bedroom apartment, and the FMR for the Timbuku area is $650 per month, including utility allowance. Timbuku Housing Authority's payment standards are set to 100% of the Fair Market Value for the area, so the payment standard is $650 per month. The amount of subsidy will be the lesser of the actual rent plus a utility allowance, or the payment standard, minus about 30% of the family or person's income, minus lawful deductions (disabled and elderly families get $400 deducted, children get about $350 per child deducted, etc.).

Answer 2

This will depend upon your income, the amount of rent per month, and the bedroom size the voucher holder qualifies for. Your rent plus a modest allowance for electricity and other essential costs of running the home (such as fuel) should equal no more than one third of your income. As such, your local housing authority, through the section 8 program, will provide housing assistance payment (H A P) for the difference, provided the rent remains reasonable.