Article

Section 8 Housing Support

Section 8 is a federal program that provides rental assistance to low-income individuals and families, including those with disabilities. Young adults with disabilities who meet the eligibility criteria can apply for Section 8 housing vouchers to subsidize their rent in suitable accommodations. These vouchers facilitate independent living by making housing more affordable and accessible.

What is Section 8 Housing?

Section 8 is a federal program that provides vouchers for people with low incomes, including those with disabilities, to obtain housing in their community. In general, a Section 8 recipient will pay approximately one-third of their own monthly income toward rent, and the voucher pays for the rest.

Many people with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) as their sole source of income will likely qualify for Section 8 as well. Ideally, Section 8 landlords must meet certain standards in order to rent their units to Section 8 tenants, but often whether a unit meets these standards is not necessarily monitored closely.

Section 8 vouchers can create affordable housing options for people with a low incidence disability, such as blindness, where employment options are limited. Section 8 affordable housing may be a viable option to support having an apartment of their own. However, it usually takes years to obtain a Section 8 voucher and, once acquired, there may not be any available Section 8 units for rent in the individual’s community.

More information about Section 8 housing can be found one the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development website.

Transition tip

It is important to register for Section 8 when your adult child turns 18 as wait lists are often years long.

Icon of of a pencil and ruler

Good to know

When considering Section 8, if a Special Needs Trust is in place for your young adult, consider speaking to a Special Needs Financial Planner. Distributions from a trust are considered income which affects eligibility and the rental calculation. See the resources below for more information.

Visually impaired male student in red shirt takes pizza out of oven with turquoise oven mitts

Resources:

Read more about Section 8, Special Needs Trusts and supported home ownership on the following websites:

Ready for more? Read this.

Stay in the conversation about post-secondary transition.

Our experts are changing the way people think about preparing students with disabilities for their post-secondary journeys – in college, career and the community. Stay up to date about the latest insight, research and resources.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Article

Housing Options

Creating transition goals and activities for the college-bound student.
Activity

Transition goals for a college-bound high school student with blindness or low vision

Photo of two people looking at a code on a zoomed computer screen with text
News

Level Up: A summer program for students with visual impairments