Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly known as Section 8) (2024)

Dear Community Members,

It has come to our attention that a misleading flyer has been circulated regarding the opening of the HCV Waiting List. The flyer contains false information that we are actively working to correct.

Please note that the correct details for the HCV Waiting List opening are as follows:

• The HCV Waiting List is currently closed. It is not set to re-open to new applicants at this time.

We apologize for any confusion this may have caused and are taking immediate steps to identify the source of this misinformation. Official updates regarding any HCV program changes, including those made to the Waiting List, will only come from official DCA accounts. Please refer back to this website for accurate program updates.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Our new physical location is 60 Executive Park S NE, Atlanta, GA 30329.

• All appointments are conducted virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• Documents may be dropped off Monday - Friday, between thehours of 8am-4pm.

For questions, call: 470-802-4707

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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:

1. Provide improved living conditions for extremely low and low income individuals and families while maintaining their rent payments at an affordable level;
2. Affirmatively further fair housing for individuals and families;
3. Promote freedom of housing choice and integrate lower income and minority persons into mainstream society;
4. Provide decent, safe, and affordable housing for eligible participants; and
5. 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 standardand 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 Programwithin 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.

For wait list information,
PLEASE CALL470-802-4707.

For more information on the Housing Choice Voucher Program,
please call470-802-4707.

HCV Help Center

HCV Specialist Contact Information

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.

• Wait List Opening for Housing Choice Voucher Program

  ATLANTA ( October 3, 2023) – The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announced applications for the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV) will be open from October 17, 2023, at midnight until October 20, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Formerly known as Section 8, this HUD-funded program assists low-income families and individuals to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing. This is the first time since 2021 that the HCV wait list has been opened to serve additional eligible applicants.

  “Rent checks are often the first and largest payment families across Georgia make each month. As housing costs continue to rise at all income levels, the Housing Choice Voucher program is a critical tool to ensure thousands of Georgians all around the state can maintain safe and stable housing,” said Philip Gilman, DCA Deputy Commissioner for Housing Assistance and Development. “Now is a great time for potential landlords to reach out to DCA and learn more about how to benefit from the stable rent payments this program provides.”

  The online preliminary application window will be available 24 hours each day of the open period, and DCA can extend the timeframe as necessary. Applicants are encouraged to have the following information available for all household members: names, dates of birth, social security numbers, annual income, and assets.

  Eligibility is determined by the total annual gross income and family size; and it is limited to US citizens and specified categories of non-citizens who have eligible immigration status. The family’s income may not exceed 50 percent of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which the family chooses to live.

  A lottery system will be used to select those approved for funding assistance. An automated system will randomly select the pool of 5000 potential participants and randomize their order on the wait list after applying their preference selection. Once an applicant’s name is at the top of the wait list, DCA will contact the applicant to complete additional information and attend a briefing.

  Approved applicants will receive assistance as long as it is needed, and they maintain compliance with program requirements. Applications can only be submitted while the wait list is open. For more information on the Housing Choice Voucher program please visit www.dca.ga.gov, https://www.waitlistcheck.com/GA3236, or email dcawaitlist@dca.ga.gov.

• The Housing Choice Voucher Program's Office has Moved

  Our new physical location is60 Executive Park S NE, Atlanta, GA 30329.

  • All appointments are conducted virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
  • Documents may be dropped off Monday - Friday, between thehours of 8am-4pm.

  For questions, call: 1-800-359-4663

• Public Hearing

  The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) which administers the Housing Choice Voucher Housing Assistance Program, will conduct a public hearing to discuss the proposed FY2024 Annual Plan on January 29, 2023, at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs building located at 1854 Shackleford Court, Suite 400, Norcross, GA in the conference room at 9am.

  The Annula Plan and Administrative Plan will be available for review at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs buildings in Atlanta, Norcross, and Waycross from December 16, 2022, to January 28, 2023, during normal business hours. Any comments regarding the proposed changes can be presented at the public hearing or can be forwarded to Waquele Holley at the following address or submitted via email to waquele.holley@dca.ga.govuntil Sunday January 28, 2023.

  GA Department of Community Affairs

  Housing Assistance Division

  Attn: 2023 Annual Plan Comments

  1854 Shackelford Court

  Suite 400

  Norcross, GA 30093

  The draft Annual Plan and draft Administrative Pan can be found at the link below:

  PHA Plan | Georgia Department of Community Affairs (ga.gov)