Housing Choice Voucher Program | Hempstead Housing Authority

Rental Assistance / Section 8 Housing

Hempstead Housing Authority (HHA) administers the Housing Choice Voucher rental subsidy program (formerly known as the Section 8 Program) for the Incorporated Village of Hempstead.
Participants in the Housing Choice Voucher Program receive assistance to rent privately owned housing units that are located in apartment complexes, condominiums, townhouses, or single-family homes.
For general information on the Housing Choice Voucher Program, you may also visit HUD's website.

Criteria Used to Select Applicants

HHA screens applicants for eligibility under HUD rules and applies local preferences to determine waiting list positions. When an applicant's name comes to the top of the list, approved applicants receive a Voucher, which entitles them to look for housing in the private market.
Before a unit can be leased under the Housing Choice Voucher Program, HHA checks to ensure that rents charged are reasonable for the area in which the unit is located and that the unit meets basic Housing Quality Standards. Participants must find a landlord/owner willing to rent to a household receiving Voucher assistance. Selection criteria used by private landlords vary. Each landlord uses his/her own criteria and is encouraged to verify income information and do a thorough check of credit, past rental references, and police records.
HHA currently performs criminal record checks to determine whether applicants have a prior criminal history. HHA will provide prospective landlords with the name and address of an applicant's current and prior landlord. Applicants must also qualify by income based on household size. Below are maximum income limits; however, 75% of new admissions must be below the extremely low-income limits and 30 percent of the median income for the Nassau-Suffolk Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). NOTE: In the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, at least 75% of new admissions must be below 30% MSA (Extremely Low).
Our waiting list is currently closed. Applicants chosen are selected by a computerized lottery system. Applicants are advised by letter of the outcome of the lottery. If you have a pending application, you must update your contact information and family composition when it changes by mail or online. You can update your information at https://hempsteadny.housingmanager.com.