• You will be invited to an orientation session that will confirm your program eligibility and level of assistance. Families generally contribute 30 percent of their total adjusted monthly income toward rent; the maximum a family can contribute is 40 percent of total adjusted income.
• Your family will be issued a voucher and can begin looking for rental housing within Kent County. The voucher will be valid for 60 days.
• Your family can choose to stay in your current residence if it meets program requirements, or you can rent a different unit from a property owner who participates in the Section 8 program.
• The apartment or house you choose will be inspected by GRHC staff to ensure that it meets HUD's Housing Quality Standards.
• Once any necessary repairs have been made and the housing you have selected passes inspection, you will submit a signed lease to your GRHC coordinator for approval.
• Your family will pay any required security deposit; under Michigan law, this cannot exceed one and one-half months' rent.
• You will pay your portion of the rent to the landlord each month. The GRHC will send Housing Assistance Payments— the difference between what you pay and the actual rent—directly to your landlord.
• Each year, your family's eligibility for assistance will be reconfirmed and your rental unit will be reinspected.

• Providing the GRHC with complete and accurate information about family composition, income and assets.
• Promptly notifying the GRHC of any changes in family composition, income or assets.
• Locating rental housing within Kent County that meets the program quality and cost standards.
• Providing complete information about rental agreements with the rental property owner. The terms of a lease cannot be changed without the GRHC's written acknowledgement.
• Complying with all program and lease requirements, including paying the family's portion of the rent on time, informing the GRHC in advance of any move to a new rental unit, and obtaining preapproval of the new unit.

• The number of bedrooms your household is qualified to rent, or...
• The number of bedrooms in the rental unit you select. The GRHC generally pays the rental property owner the difference between 30 percent of adjusted family income and a predetermined payment standard.

Q. What if my family chooses housing that has a rent above the payment standard?
A. If the rent is greater than the payment standard, your family must pay the additional amount. You cannot spend more than 40 percent of your household's adjusted monthly income on rent.

Q. Can my family move and continue to receive Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher assistance?
A. After you have lived in a rental unit for 12 months, moves are permitted as long as you get approval from the GRHC in advance, terminate the existing lease within the lease provisions and find alternate housing that meets program requirements.

For more information about the Section 8 program, click
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Additional Resources for GRHC Section 8 Clients
The GRHC works with HUD and other partner organizations to link Section 8 assistance with other services low-income families can use to work toward economic independence. Click the links below to learn about two exciting resources many are using to build a financial "nest egg" and even to attain home ownership!

Family Self-Sufficiency Program