Types of Housing Subsidies: Back to Top

There are several types of housing subsidies for low income renters in Washington. All tenants in subsidized housing are covered under the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?Cite=59.18 and many programs provide renters with additional protections above and beyond state law.

The most common subsidies are:

Housing Choice (Section 8) Vouchers
Low Income Public Housing http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/topics/rental_assistance/phprog
HUD Subsidized Project Based Section 8 http://www.hud.gov/apps/section8/step2.cfm?state=WA,Washington
Low Income Housing Tax Credit
http://www.wshfc.org/tax-credits/index.htm

The general criteria to be eligible for these programs are that you are low income (anywhere from 30-80% of area median income or less). In addition, projects often have units set aside for particular special needs populations, such as households that are a family with children, survivors of domestic violence or disabled, elderly, or currently homeless. Most programs still screen applicants for evictions, credit, criminal backgrounds and rental history. Each specific program can provide you with a list of their eligibility criteria. Most low income housing programs offer enhanced protections for tenants against housing loss, such as good cause termination, increased notice and grievance hearings before benefits can be terminated.

Each program also requires tenants to regularly report changes in the household status and income, and most programs require inspections to ensure and maintain housing quality. Housing Choice Vouchers, Low Income Public Housing programs and some Project-Based Section 8 programs are run by quasi-governmental agencies called a Public Housing Authority (PHA)  http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/pha/contacts/states/wa.cfm .Some of the largest PHA’s in Washington State are:

Seattle Housing Authority: 206.239.1500     www.seattlehousing.org
King County Housing Authority: 206.214.1300 www.kcha.org
Renton Housing Authority: 425.226.1850     www.rentonhousing.org
Housing Authority of Snohomish County: 425.290.8499 www.hasco.org
Pierce County Housing Authority: 253.620.5400 www.pchawa.org
Vancouver Housing Authority: 360.694.2501 www.vhausa.org
Northeast Washington Housing Solutions: 509.328.2953 www.spokanehousing.org