How to Qualify for HUD Housing in Texas
- 1). Contact your local public housing agency (PHA). HUD maintains a list on its website that allows you to search for the PHA that runs your area's Section 8 and public housing programs.
- 2). Assemble proof of family size and annual household income prior to applying. While you can apply to Section 8 and public housing simultaneously, both require pay stubs, tax returns and other items to verify family income and composition. To qualify for the Section 8 program, your yearly income cannot exceed 50 percent of your area's median. For public housing, your annual household earnings cannot surpass 80 percent of your area's median.
- 3). Consult HUD's income limits for Texas. You may qualify for housing in one area, but not another. For example, 50 percent of median income for a four-person household in the Austin, Dallas and Houston areas in 2010 was $36,900, $34,150 and $32,550 respectively. In less expensive markets, such as El Paso and Laredo, this figure dropped to $23,250.
- 4). Get on a waiting list with the PHA that covers the area you wish to live in. Generally, you will need to wait for a Section 8 subsidy or public housing unit to open up. This is particularly true in larger cities. Housing authorities in Austin, Dallas and Houston report that their HUD low-income housing wait lists are closed as of August 2010, with Austin's office noting that it does not expect its list to open for "several years." Houston's last open application period for the Section 8 program occurred in 2006.
- 5). Bring your income documents and other items requested by your PHA to an eligibility interview. While this varies from place to place, typically a spot on the waiting list does not guarantee eligibility. You must prove you qualify for HUD housing when your name comes up. In some cases, your PHA conducts the eligibility interview both prior to placing you on a wait list and when your turn finally arises.