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Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly Section 8)
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Waitlist Opens at 8:30 a.m. on October 5, 2023
Loudoun County will open the waitlist for the county's Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 5, 2023, with the release of the preliminary application. Important details are listed below, including the eligibility criteria and how to apply.
The preliminary application will be posted to this webpage at 8:30 a.m. on October 5, 2023.
The HCV Program is a rental subsidy program funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program pays a portion of participants’ monthly rent based on household income.
Waitlist Eligibility
The Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development considers three factors when determining applicant eligibility for the waitlist:
- The date and time the preliminary application is received;
- Qualification for one or all of the local waitlist preferences (listed below); and
- Household income (guidelines below).
Local Waitlist Preferences
The local waitlist preferences are listed below in priority order:
- Applicants with a disability, older adults (over 62 head of household), families or homeless (using the HUD definition*) persons who meet all other qualifications for the HCV program and who live or work in Loudoun County;
- All applicants (families, individuals with a disability, and older adults) who meet all other qualifications for the HCV Program who live or work in the Commonwealth of Virginia;
- All other eligible applicants (families, individuals with a disability, and older adults) who are residents of the United States; and
- Single able-bodied applicants who live or work in Loudoun County or elsewhere in Virginia or the United States and who otherwise meet all other qualifications for the HCV Program.
*The HUD definition of "homeless" is provided on the preliminary application form.
Income Guidelines
Household income must be at or below 50% of the Area Median Income for an applicant to be eligible.
2023 Income Limits
| Family Size | Income Limit |
1 | $52,750 |
2 | $60,300 |
3 | $67,850 |
4 | $75,350 |
| 5 | $81,400 |
| 6 | $87,450 |
| 7 | $93,450 |
| 8 | $99,500 |
Apply for the HCV Program
Residents interested in participating in the HCV program must begin by completing a preliminary application for the waitlist.
The preliminary application will be available starting at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 5, 2023. The preliminary application will be available in multiple formats: an online form, a downloadable PDF document, or a printed paper copy.
Paper copies of preliminary applications can be submitted in two ways:
- Mail to:
Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development
HCV Preliminary Application
P.O. Box 7000
Leesburg, VA 20177 - Submit in-person to:
Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development
106 Catoctin Circle, SE
Leesburg, VA 20175
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Loudoun County will close the waitlist and stop accepting preliminary applications once it has been determined that applicants at the bottom of the list will have to wait at least three years before receiving subsidy, which is estimated to be 300 preliminary applications.
Reasonable Accommodations
If you need assistance with accessing, obtaining, or completing a preliminary application form, call 703-771-5718 or send an email. If you require a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability or need language assistance in order to participate in this preliminary application process, call 703-771-5718/TTY-711.
For More Information
For more information about the preliminary application process, contact Timi Myers at 703-737-8213 or by email or Tandi Butler at 703-771-5204 or by email.
Submitting Paperwork and Changes in Income
HCV participants should call or e-mail their Housing Counselor if they have lost or gained income, medical expenses, and/or childcare expenses to determine if an adjustment to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is needed.
Changes in income and/or expenses must be reported within 10 days.
Documents for annual and interim HCV recertifications may be sent in one of three ways:
Send via EMAIL to your Housing Counselor. If you do not know the name of your counselor, send us an email.
Or
- Send via mail to:
Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development
Attn: HCV Program
P.O. Box 7000
Leesburg, VA 20177-7000
Or
- Drop off at:
Loudoun County Department of Housing and Community Development
Attn: HCV Program
106 Catoctin Circle, SE
Leesburg, VA 20175
Front desk hours are from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Please Note: Do not send mail to the physical address, as it will not be delivered.
Inspections
The Loudoun County HCV program has transitioned to a biennial inspection schedule.
An HQS inspection will be conducted every other year (within a 24-month period). To ensure the health and safety of our participants, the HCV program reserves the right to amend these criteria to conduct an inspection sooner than the 24-month period.
When is my next regularly scheduled inspection? Participants will receive written notification 30 calendar days prior to the next HQS inspection date.
For more information on policies and procedures related to HQS inspections, visit the Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspection webpage.
Reasonable Accommodations
Loudoun County is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all county programs, services and activities and will provide reasonable accommodations upon request. If you require an accommodation for any type of disability or need language assistance in order to participate in the HCV program, call the Loudoun County Department of Housing & Community Development at 703-737-8323/TTY 711 or send an email. Three business days advance notice is requested.
For More Information
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is the federal government's major program for assisting very low-income families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments. Rental units must meet minimum standards of health and safety, as determined by Loudoun County.
A housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by Loudoun County on behalf of the participating family. The family then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program.
Loudoun County’s policies on program eligibility may be found in the Loudoun County Housing Choice Voucher Program Administrative Plan (PDF).
For general information on the HCV program, you may also visit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website.
- Does the HCV program provide security deposits?
- Is my HCV Housing Counselor responsible for finding my housing?
- What is my rent share obligation?
- Does Loudoun County screen prospective residents?
- When will the owner/landlord receive the first housing assistance payment (HAP)?
- Can the owner/landlord receive the housing assistance payment (HAP) via direct deposit?
- If an owner/landlord wants a higher contract rent than approved by Loudoun County, can the HCV resident pay the difference in rent directly to the owner/landlord?
- If I want to port-in (move) to Loudoun County, will Loudoun County be absorbing my voucher?