We have recently taken the opportunity to become a landlord in PHA’s Housing Choice Voucher program. The PHA Housing Choice Voucher program, formerly known as Section 8, is meant to: “Provide improved living conditions for low-income families while maintaining rent payments at an affordable level, promote freedom of housing choice and integrate lower-income and minority families into mainstream society, and provide an incentive to private owners to rent to lower-income families by offering timely assistance payments, a pool of families to select from, and regular inspections to ensure upkeep of the property (PHA).”

The certification was a simple process totaling about 4 hours between the introduction and certification sessions. The introduction session was exactly that, an introduction to the program and what it entails. It provided an overview as to why landlords should be interested in being a part of the program, and how we can help those who are not. Included in the Housing Choice Voucher program for landlords is an online portal which allows the user to upload necessary documents such as proof of insurance and rental licenses to verify the landlord is in compliance with PHA’s requirements.

For the official certification, the director of the class went into great detail, providing a brief introduction similar to the first session. They discussed how to and why it’s important to use the portal, as well as how to properly go about listing your unit, which can be done on GoSection8.com. Other topics touched on were; lease terms, recertification processes, inspection processes, tenant responsibilities, how to achieve the proper listing price for your unit, and the process of properly leasing your unit in the Housing Choice Voucher program.

This was an informative and detailed process outlining how to become a landlord in the Housing Choice Voucher program for PHA. If you’re at all interested in becoming a part of the Housing Choice Voucher program, feel free to reach out to us and we will be happy to help you get started!