Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program
About Housing Choice Vouchers
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is the largest voucher program administered by the GRHC. Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), HCVs provide a monthly rental subsidy for low-income households renting privately owned property. Click the links below to view program income eligibility requirements for Kent and Ottawa counties.
How Rent Is Set
The amount of rent an HCV can cover is capped by Voucher Payment Standards (VPS) set by the GRHC. This standard can be between 90 percent and 110 percent of the Fair Market Rent (FMR), which is HUD’s estimate of the amount needed to cover the rent and utility costs of moderately priced housing units in the area.
GRHC Voucher Payment Standards for Kent and Ottawa counties are set at 110 percent of FMR for 2024—to view VPS and utility allowances by unit size, click the links below.
Maximum monthly rents (VPS), Kent County
Maximum monthly rents (VPS), Ottawa County
The amount a voucher pays on behalf of a specific household is based on:
- The Voucher Payment Standard for the unit size for which the family is eligible
- The actual rent and utility costs of the rental unit
- The family’s annual “adjusted income,” which includes deductions for each child as well as child care costs. Households may also deduct the cost of assistance for a person with a disability, and households in which the head or spouse is elderly or has a disability receive a special standard deduction as well as a deduction for unreimbursed medical expenses.
Other HCV Programs Serving West Michigan
Please be aware that the GRHC is one of several local agencies that administer a Housing Choice Voucher program. Each agency is independently administered; so if you applied with an agency other than the Grand Rapids Housing Commission, please contact that agency with application updates or questions about your application.
Links to the websites of some additional housing agencies in our area:
Waiting List News
The GRHC’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program is currently closed to new applicants.
The GRHC is currently serving applicants who applied during October 2023.
Please note that our agency does not offer waiting list “position numbers.”
When an applicant reaches the top of the HCV waiting list, the GRHC will contact the household using the information on the their HCV Program application. If you move prior to being contacted, it is very important that you update the contact information on your application. Information can be updated online via the GRHC applicant portal.
HCV Program Applicant: Next Steps
Once your family’s name has reached the top of the waiting list...
- 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 household income toward rent; the maximum a family can contribute is 40 percent of total adjusted income.
View the GRHC’s HCV Program orientation video - Your family will be issued a voucher and can begin looking for rental housing within Kent or Ottawa 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 HCV 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 HCV Coordinator for approval.
- Your family will pay any required security deposit; under Michigan law, this cannot exceed one and one-half month’s 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.
Current Program Participants
HCV Program Clients Can Now Rent in Ottawa County
During 2022 the GRHC expanded our service area to include Ottawa County; this means GRHC Housing Choice Voucher Program participants can now rent a unit in either Kent or Ottawa counties.
View maximum monthly rents and utility allowances for units in Kent County
View maximum monthly rents and utility allowances for units in Ottawa County
Rental Property Search Resources
The Rental Property Owners Association (RPOA) now offers an online listing of available local rentals.*
View RPOA rental listings
Affordablehousing.com, a free searchable database that serves households seeking affordable rental housing.*
*DISCLAIMER: The Housing Commission is pleased to offer the convenience of links to organizations that provide a variety of housing and emergency services. Please note that the linked sites are external to the GRHC s website. The GRHC cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by linked sites. The GRHC disclaims all responsibility for the contents and results provided through linked websites.
Direct Deposit Available
The GRHC offers direct deposit of Utility Assistance Payments! Current HCV Program clients can click Direct Deposit Authorization Form to reach the secure online form that makes this convenience possible. Download Direct Deposit Form to get a PDF version of the form.
Transfer a Housing Choice Voucher
The HCV program allows a household to transfer or “port” its voucher to another city. Get more information about voucher portability.
Tenant Responsibilities
Participants in the GRHC’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program are responsible for:
- 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.