Houston is a vastly large city with thousands of new people moving into the city daily. Some new residences have Section 8 vouchers and are having a difficult time locating a rental property owner that will accept the voucher.  The Houston Housing Authority has established a website - www.HousingForHouston.com - that is a valuable resource for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) holders. The website has information on the Voucher Program, rental units that accept vouchers, voucher portability, and the Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program.  

I recommend that tenants new to Houston research the various different areas of town, school districts, flood zones, crime, and high-traffic areas prior to selecting a location in which to move.  I also suggest that new renters check out HAR.com to get an idea of average rental rates for an area. Doing so will give tenants an idea of what they should expect for rent. 

Finding rental units that accept the voucher program is made simple by using SocialServ.com.  Socialserve is a Housing Locator Service designed for use by landlords who accept HCV's and tenants who hold an HCV. Users of the site have the option to input various rental criteria, such as property type, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage, location, and more. A list of properties matching the criteria, which includes the landlord or property manager's contact information along with full listing details about the property.  Keep in mind that it is the tenant's responsibility to reach out to the listed contact for properties they are interested in renting. 

As part of the Voucher Program, HCV holders who meet certain criteria can use their voucher to purchase a home.  Buyers who use the Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program are required to make a minimum down payment of 3% of the purchase price of the home and 1% of the minimum down payment must come from the buyer's personal savings.  Ex. The home purchase price is $200,000. The buyer would be responsible for bringing $6,000 to the table of which $2,000 has to be from the buyer's personal savings. The remaining $4,000 may be from gift funds or other sources, including down payment assistance programs.

My team and I are happy to offer you more information and advice on how to locate rental properties or purchase a home using a Housing Choice Voucher. Call us TODAY at 713-204-8345.