Regional and public housing authorities in Mississippi work together with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide low-income households with affordable housing. Whether you are an individual or family searching for safe housing that is in your budget, Section 8 services can benefit you. In Mississippi Section 8 includes:

• Public Housing program
• Housing Choice Voucher program

The Public Housing program provides households with accommodations. The rent price is pre-set, and these housing complexes are solely for Section 8 recipients. The landlords overseeing public housing must ensure that the accommodations meet health and safety standards set by HUD. If you choose to move out of public housing you will lose your Section 8 assistance.

Those households that want to choose where they live via a privately owned rental property should consider the Housing Choice Voucher program. Under this Section 8 service you are given the freedom to live where you want within your PHA service area. Additionally, your landlord must be approved as a Section 8 provider, so to receive your Section 8 subsidy. The HCV program requires you to pay up to 30 percent of your household’s adjusted gross income toward rent. The remainder is covered by a subsidy that is paid directly to your landlord to cover the remaining rental expense each month.

You are required to apply to receive either of these Section 8 services. However, first your household must meet certain qualifications.

Who can Qualify for Section 8?

Qualifying for Mississippi Section 8 requires you to meet a low-income limit. This limit is based on the size of your household. For instance, a family of four is limited to an annual income of $41,450 to qualify for Section 8 assistance. If your household income exceeds the low-income limit you will not qualify for services.

In addition to your income, your household must meet other qualifying standards. This includes a review of your household members. For starters, if your household has an elderly or disabled member, you will be given priority for housing assistance, as required by HUD. Other stipulations for your household include the requirement that:

• All household members be US citizens or naturalized permanent residents.
• Everyone must submit to and pass a criminal background check. Criminal histories may disqualify your household.
• Your household must be able to prove a positive rental history.
• You must provide financial documentation and resources to show your household income.

These qualifications are the baseline for applying for Mississippi Section 8. You will have to prove each of these factors with documents and references. Additionally, your household will likely be evaluated via an interview process to ensure the validity of your claims.

How to Apply

To apply for Mississippi Section 8 requires you to get your name on a waitlist. The state has waitlists for public housing, as well as waitlists for the Housing Choice Voucher program. Some waitlists have been closed including the Jackson Housing Authority, Meridian Housing Authority, and the South Delta Regional Housing Authority. If your local PHA has closed its waitlist to new applicants, you will need to apply to another PHA waitlist. Note that if you are accepted by a PHA waitlist and receive Section 8 in that service area, you will have to live in that area.

Public housing and Housing Choice Voucher waitlists can be lengthy. However, eventually your household will be selected to apply for Section 8 assistance. This is the application process that involves the criminal background check and in-depth review of your household composition. Once you have passed this step in the application process you can plan to move into your new home.

If you are selected for the public housing program your housing will be provided for you. If you are provided with a Housing Choice Voucher you are responsible for finding Section 8 affordable housing in Mississippi.

Reach out to your state HUD representative at the Jackson Field Office for more information about the Mississippi Section 8 programs. You can also contact other public and regional housing authorities to find information about waitlists and to receive an application.