Section 8 is a rent assistance program that enables very low-income persons to live in decent, safe and sanitary, privately owned housing. Tenants select their own rental housing, within the program guidelines.
The program is open to families and individuals. Preference is given to families and disabled and elderly persons over other singles.
Currently, the gross income limits for participation are as follows:
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One Person: |
$19,100 |
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Five Persons: |
$29,450 |
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Two Persons: |
$21,800 |
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Six Persons: |
$31,600 |
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Three Persons: |
$24,550 |
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Seven Persons: |
$33,800 |
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Four Persons: |
$27,250 |
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Eight Persons: |
$35,950 |
The housing may be an apartment, house or even a mobile home. In all instances, the unit must be clean, in good condition and safe. Also, the rent must not exceed the program limits (which vary based on several factors), and must be appropriately priced for the size, condition and location of the unit. Furthermore, the owner of the property must agree to participate in the program and to adhere to the Section 8 regulations.
Eligible tenants pay 30% to 40% of their adjusted monthly income toward the rent and utilities. As an example, a family who earns $600 per month might pay about $180.
The City (using money appropriated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) pays a portion of the rent directly to the landlord on behalf of the tenant. For example, if the total monthly rent is $800 and the tenant's portion is $280, the City would pay the owner $520.
Tenants may fill out and submit an application card, available at the Housing Authority office. NOTE: Applications must be "open" for new applicants to apply.
Unfortunately, that's a hard question to answer. It could take only a few months or several years, depending on the applicant's residency and veteran status, as well as application date. We serve applicants on a first-come, first-serve basis with preference given to Redondo Beach residents and veterans. Also, single persons 62 and older and disabled persons have priority over other single individuals. Therefore, if you turn 62 after submitting your application, you should contact us so we can update your card.
We will contact the applicant by letter when his name reaches the top of the waiting list and we have an opening in the program. (Openings occur when existing tenants leave the program.) The letter will provide further instructions.
In the meantime, our office periodically updates the waiting list by writing all applicants and asking them to renew their interest by filling out and sending back a form. When that occurs, it is mandatory for the applicant to return the form. Otherwise, the applicant's name will be withdrawn.
Additionally, applicants who move must report their new addresses and phone numbers to the Housing Authority immediately in writing. Applicants need to include their social security numbers when corresponding with us. We also suggest that applicants phone our office a week or so after writing to ensure our office received the information. In the event the Housing Authority tries to contact the applicant and is unable to do so because the applicant moved and failed to notify us, we will withdraw the application. Applications cannot be reinstated in such instances.
You are welcome to phone or visit our office for assistance. We are located at:
320 Knob Hill, Room 2, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 (310) 318-0635
Additionally, for recorded information about the status of our waiting list, please call (310) 318-0640. Thank you for your interest in our program.
Sincerely, The Housing Authority Staff
The Housing Authority guarantees that we will pay our portion of rent on time. In most cases, the Housing Authority portion of rent is greater than the Tenant portion.
In the open market, when a "regular" tenant loses his job or other income source, the tenant is often unable to pay the rent. This situation often leads to owner eviction, which translates to time and expense for the Landlord. (On average, landlords lose at least 3 months of rent plus $2,000 in attorneys' fees. The eviction process is also timeconsuming and unpleasant.)
On the other hand, if a Section 8 tenant were to lose his or her job or experience another type of income loss, the Housing Authority would lower the tenant's portion of rent and raise our Agency's contribution, up to 100 percent of the entire rent when necessary. This assures the Landlord that the Section 8 Tenant will always be able to afford the rent.
The City of Redondo Beach appreciates landlord participation in the Section 8 Program. As a gesture of goodwill, the City of Redondo Beach waives the business license fee for each Section 8-occupied unit.
In the open market, when a landlord evicts a "regular" tenant, the landlord does not normally receive any money from the tenant, either during or after the eviction process.
However, if a landlord were to evict a Section 8 tenant, the Housing Authority would continue to pay our portion of the rent until the tenant had vacated the unit. Or, in cases where landlords refuse to accept our rent for fear of interfering with the eviction outcome, the Housing Authority will retroactively pay for any unpaid Housing amounts once the tenant has moved out.
In the open market, landlords may only enter a tenant's unit in case of emergency, to make necessary or agreed upon repairs, or to show the unit to a prospective buyer or renter. In many cases, landlords do not see the inside of their tenant's homes for years and therefore have no assurance that the units are still in good, safe condition. In the case of tenants who do not report dangerous situations to their landlords, disastrous occurrences sometimes result.
Our staff conducts annual inspections of our Section 8 tenants' units, during which time we check to see that each tenant is maintaining his home in decent, safe and sanitary condition. Staff notifies the landlord whenever we discover items that are in poor repair, thus providing property owners with important information that may prevent future problems.
Some landlords have told us that they worry if they take one Section 8 tenant, they will have to rent to others. This is absolutely untrue. Landlords are free to rent to only one Section 8 tenant, to no Section 8 tenants or to many Section 8 tenants.
While we do ask landlords to sign a one-year contract and lease (so that we may reserve federal funds), we do not get involved in the landlord's relationship with his tenant (unless the landlord asks for our assistance). In that regard, landlords do not need to ask our permission to carry out any landlord business, including the eviction of a tenant. The Housing Authority's role is to qualify eligible tenants for Program participation and to subsidize their rents in appropriate housing, not to interfere in the landlord's activities.
Redondo Beach has administered the Section 8 Program for over 25 years. We currently enjoy dealing with over 250 landlords in the City, many of whom have two or more tenants currently on our Section 8 Program. Our staff is committed to providing the best service possible to our landlords. If you have any questions, or if you would like to talk to our staff, we invite your phone calls. Please feel free to talk to anyone of us. We are at (310) 318-0635.
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