The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is a National rental assistance program managed by HUD and administered at the local level by housing authorities or other HUD contracted administrators. The program provides rental assistance to low income persons in the form of monthly rent payments based on the renter’s income. Renters find private rental housing in the open market and the Section 8 voucher payment makes the rent affordable.

The program is extremely oversubscribed meaning that there are many more people in need of the rental assistance than the government is currently funding. This has created the need for waiting lists.