Families who qualify for low income housing vouchers, such as Section 8, must follow the Department of Housing and Urban Development's definition of "family." While household income is a significant factor in qualifying, the number of people and how they are related to each other is another way to identify households in need of government assistance. Because families are composed of all different kinds of people and relationships, it's helpful to have a guide to what HUD considers a family unit for voucher purposes.
The housing choice voucher program is the Department of Housing and Urban Development's way of helping out families whose income falls below the median income of their area. Low-income families can also include the elderly and the disabled. With housing vouchers, people who might otherwise struggle to find safe, sanitary housing have a much better chance of appealing to landlords. Eligibility for the HUD program depends on local public housing agencies approving applications based on factors such as total annual income and family size.
During the application process, the public housing agency will collect information on family income, assets and family composition. The agency can ask for documentation to verify family relationships, such as marriage licenses, birth certificates and other proof. The agency must also verify with the landlord that the family composition does not violate local or state occupancy laws. For example, Section 503(b) of the federal Uniform Housing Code outlines how many people can occupy a bedroom and how many square feet the bedroom must be. State and local regulations may be even stricter than the federal standard and will apply to the family's qualification process.
Who Doesn't Qualify as Family
The agency must not count certain people as family members, even if they reside in the rental property. Examples of people who are not counted as family includes any live-in aides who assist an elderly or disabled family member. If the family hosts foster children, the children will not be counted as a family member for the purposes of voucher qualification. Temporary guests do not count as family members, either.
Who Does Qualify as Family
Residents who are related by blood, adoption or marriage count as family members for voucher purposes. Other family members who must be counted besides those living in the rental unit include temporarily absent children who may be placed in foster care. Any unborn child is also counted as a family member. Children who are in the process of being adopted are also counted. Any children who are away at boarding school but return home for breaks are included. So are any family members who are residing long-term in the hospital or nursing home.
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