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Housing News

Moving? Here’s How To Keep Your Section 8 Voucher

Avatar photo Jonah Jacobs
3 min read

There’s good news if you need to move: You may be able to bring your Section 8 housing voucher with you to keep rent affordable wherever you go. We’ll show you how now.

A family rarely gets to stay in place forever. For many reasons, you may be forced to move to a new location, which can stop whatever stability you enjoyed. What can make things worse? The costs associated with moving, and worries about how you’ll adapt to your new environment.

One thing that could make it very hard to adapt is losing your Section 8 voucher. Since it can take years to secure one, losing it when moving is the last thing you want to happen. Luckily, you can transfer a housing voucher, as long as you follow certain rules.

We’ll discuss the basics of how to transfer a voucher. But before we do, let’s talk about the costs of moving.

Potential Costs To Consider Before Moving

If you’re moving to relocate for a new job or send your kids to a better school, you may not have much choice. But if you’re only moving because you’re bored with where you are and need a change of scenery, your choice may be impacted by all of these potential costs.
In short, they may change your mind about moving:

  • Taking time off work
  • Application fees
  • Background checks
  • New appliances
  • New furniture
  • Utility costs
  • Security deposits
  • Finding a new babysitter or daycare
  • Cleaning supplies/services
  • Storage
  • Truck rentals
  • Gasoline
  • Temporary lodging/hotels

Even with Section 8 help, you could see higher out-of-pocket rent costs. This can happen with rent overlap, where you move into a new place, but your old lease is still active. You’ll have to pay the rent at the new place until your voucher kicks in.

How To Transfer Your Housing Voucher

If the costs above don’t dissuade you from moving, here’s what you’ll need to do to transfer your Section 8 voucher:

  1. Notify your Public Housing Agency (PHA) about your intentions to move. This usually involves requesting a transfer packet that contains the paperwork necessary to transfer a voucher to a different location.
  2. Notify your landlord of your intentions by giving them 30 to 60 days’ notice. You should be able to find a form for this in your transfer packet from the PHA. You and the landlord will need to sign it and give a copy to the PHA.
  3. Disclose any changes regarding your family composition. You may be losing or adding family members when moving. This can affect your voucher, so you’ll need to report any such changes to the PHA.
  4. Complete an interview with the PHA. They will review your transfer packet and confirm that all of the information is correct.
  5. If all goes as planned, you will get your new voucher that can be used to make your new home’s rent more affordable.

Possible Obstacles To Transferring Your Section 8 Voucher

You’ll need to make sure your new home complies with Section 8 standards. In other words, it’ll need to be affordable compared to other rentals in the area, and it must pass inspection. But even if your new home is deemed suitable by the PHA, the following could prevent you from transferring your voucher:

  • Any violations of Section 8 rules.
  • Owing money to the PHA or landlord.
  • Being stuck in a lease with the current landlord that you can’t get out of.

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