Housing Choice Voucher Program

AHAs Section 8 Department administers the Federal Housing Choice Voucher program.

Tenant–Based

Tenant-based vouchers increase affordable housing choices for very low-income families. Families with tenant-based vouchers are able to lease safe, decent, and affordable privately owned rental housing with the help of their housing subsidy. After the initial lease period, they may move to an apartment of their choice in the city or town where they currently live, or they may "port" to an apartment in another city in the United States and its territories. The Albany Housing Authority currently has 2188 tenant based vouchers.

Project-Based

Project-based vouchers stay at the location where they have been approved. Project based vouchers can be in privately owned housing or in New York State assisted public housing. These vouchers frequently are a component of a typical housing choice voucher program. AHA has received HUD approval to project-base 90% of Townsend Park (a NYS-assisted public housing development for seniors) and 50% of the units at Creighton Storey Homes (a NYS-assisted family development). The AHA will be converting 212 of the above listed housing choice vouchers to project based vouchers for this purpose. The AHA will convert an additional 40 of the housing choice vouchers listed above to project based vouchers that will be used by a private corporation that also was approved in the competitive request for proposals by HUD.

Welfare-to-Work

To address the lack of stable, affordable housing available to families attempting to transition from welfare to self-sufficiency, HUD awarded approximately 50,000 additional housing choice vouchers to housing authorities throughout the country through its Welfare to Work (WtW) Voucher Program. Albany Housing Authority received 538 WtW vouchers. All have been leased-up . The Authority is working diligently with these clients to provide access to education and job training and referral in order to jump start family self-sufficiency.

Mainstream Vouchers

Elderly and non-elderly families that have a person with disabilities. 273 vouchers of the above listed housing choice voucher total of 2188 are being utilized for this purpose. An additional 25 of the total vouchers are earmarked for formerly homeless veterans, and also 137 formerly homeless persons with disabilities are now living in their own apartments with this voucher assistance.

AHA also administers funds to create 57 voucher-like rentals through the Shelter Plus Care Program and 30 SRO (Single Room Occupancy) rentals at the Homeless Action Committee 30 N. Pearl St.