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Section 8 Program

• How does the Section 8 Program work?
• How long is the waiting list?
• Where am I on the list?
• Where can I go for emergency assistance?
• Who can help me with my rent?
• Where else can I apply for housing assistance?
• How much would I pay for rent?
• How much is allowed for a 1, 2, or 3 bedroom apartment?
• Can I get a more expensive apartment and pay the difference?
• Can I take my Section 8 Voucher somewhere else?
• What do I need to know to become a Section 8 Landlord?
• Can you have someone come inspect my unit to qualify it for Section 8?
• If someone has a boyfriend or girlfriend living with them do they have to let Auburn Housing Authority know?

Public Housing

• How does the public housing program work?
• What do the apartments look like?
• What is and efficiency apartment? How big are the apartments?
• What do you have available?
• I am being evicted and need a 3 bedroom apartment NOW.
• How much would I pay for rent?
• Is electricity and heat included in the rent?
• If someone has a boyfriend living with them do they have to let AHA know?
• What types of services are available to tenants at Barker/ Esplanade/ Towne House?

Section 8 Program

How does the Section 8 Program work?

We have a certain amount of money available to assist families with their rent. A family will get a Housing Choice Voucher and then find the housing of their choice. If the unit and the monthly rental amount fit the program guidelines the tenant will pay approximately 30% of their money toward the rent and we pay the remaining balance directly to the landlord.

Unfortunately, there is not enough money available to meet the need, and we have a waiting list for assistance.

How long is the waiting list?
Where am I on the list?

Auburn Housing Authority receives a set amount of money for the Section 8 Program and we help as many families as we can. There is always a waiting list to receive assistance. The only way we get an opening is if someone who currently has a voucher goes off the program.

We usually have over 200 families on the waiting list but this is not an indication of how long it would take a new applicant to receive assistance. The rules we follow to select families from the waiting list require us to serve people that qualify as Auburn residents first. We then have to help three qualifying families from the Extremely Low Income category, and then we serve one family that falls into the Very Low Income category. Depending on whether or not you qualify as an Auburn resident and how much your household income is determines how quickly you will move to the top of the waiting list.

PLEASE NOTE: Calling us frequently for an update on your waiting list status WILL NOT shorten your wait. We have a fair system based on federal & local regulations & will assist you as fast as we can, given the limited resources available. You MUST contact us however, if you move, so we are able to reach you.

Where can I go for emergency assistance?
Who can help me with my rent?
Where else can I apply for housing assistance?

Auburn Housing Authority does not have any emergency programs. Maine State Housing Authority voucher program offers a preference to Section 8 applicants that qualify for the MSHA Homeless Preference. Other than that the only emergency assistance is through the general assistance office at City Hall, or the local homeless shelters.

You can apply for a Section 8 Voucher at any housing authority in the country. When you come to the top of a waiting list that housing authority would inform you of the conditions under which you would be able to use their voucher. You would probably have to go live in the area served by that housing authority for the first year in order to receive their voucher.

How much would I pay for rent?

Generally you will pay 30% of your monthly income for rent. There are adjustments to this, such as an allowance for any utilities you will be responsible for, that may reduce the amount you pay for your portion of the rent. Your Housing Specialist is the person assigned to calculate your exact responsibility for monthly rent.

How much is allowed for a 1, 2, or 3 bedroom apartment?
Can I get a more expensive apartment and pay the difference?

The Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gives us payment standards for what rental limits should be in our area. If your unit exceeds these guidelines you may be able to pay the difference but under no circumstances can you pay more than 40% of your monthly adjusted income for rent.

To determine what rental amount is allowed for an apartment there are several things we must consider; the HUD payment standard, whether or not you would be responsible for paying utilities, what the landlord charged for this unit before, and what the rent is for other similar units in the area. If a landlord was charging the prior tenant $400 per month he cannot inflate the rent to $450 simply because you are receiving a rental subsidy, and if there is a comparable unit down the street, the rent charged for your unit cannot be more than that one is rented for.

Can I take my Section 8 Voucher somewhere else?

The ability to move anywhere you like with your Housing Choice Voucher is called Portability. If you lived in our area of operation (Auburn, Poland, Turner, Mechanic Falls, Minot, or New Gloucester) when you originally applied for your voucher you have instant portability. This means that when you received your voucher you may go where you wish with it as long as there is a housing authority available to service that area.

If you did not live in our area of operation when you first applied for a voucher you must live in one of our towns for the first year after you receive a voucher, even if you receive the Auburn resident status for working in Auburn you would still need to physically live in one of our towns for one year in order to take that voucher elsewhere. At the end of that year you may then use your voucher wherever you wish as long as you have complied with program obligations. This means you have paid your rent each month, not damaged your unit, provided all required income and household information to your Housing Specialist, etc.

What do I need to know to become a Section 8 Landlord?
Can you have someone come inspect my unit to qualify it for Section 8?

Participants in the Housing Choice Voucher Program are responsible for finding the unit of their choice. They would then present the prospective landlord with a Request for Tenancy Approval form. This form gives the housing authority all of the information it needs to be able to evaluate the unit for program participation, such as the amount of rent, who is responsible for the utilities, how many bedrooms in the unit, etc. If the rental amount is reasonable and meets program guidelines a Housing Quality Standards Inspection is scheduled.

You must provide a lease between you and the tenant. Auburn Housing Authority will then execute a Housing Assistance Payments Contract with you. This is a contract between you and Auburn Housing Authority that allows us to pay rental subsidy directly to you on behalf of the tenant as long as you comply with program requirements, such as keeping the property in good condition.

There is no pre-approval process for apartments. Voucher participants search for units in the same manner as typical market tenants would. Even if your prior tenant was a participant in the voucher program we still have to do a new evaluation of your unit if you wish to rent to another voucher holder.

If someone has a boyfriend or girlfriend living with them do they have to let Auburn Housing Authority know?

A family participating in a housing program, whether it is public housing or the voucher program, must disclose their total household income and all persons living in the household. If there is an income change of any kind, or if anyone moves in or out of the household, this must be reported to their Housing Specialist within 14 days.

Public Housing

How does the public housing program work?

Public housing refers to buildings owned by Auburn Housing Authority that offer rental subsidy to tenants that live there. As long as you live in the unit you pay rent based on your income and the number of people in your household. When you move out of the buildings you no longer have any rental assistance.

What do the apartments look like?
What is and efficiency apartment?
How big are the apartments?

We don’t currently have any materials to distribute that would provide specific information such as square footage. Efficiency apartments are just one room apartments where everything is in a large open area except for a separate bathroom.

What do you have available? I am being evicted and need a 3 bedroom apartment NOW.

We do not have any immediate availability of units. Applicants must complete an application and be placed on the waiting list.

What is the maximum amount of money you can have?

Each year HUD publishes income guidelines for us to determine if a household is eligible for a subsidized unit. Once a household is in place this limit no longer applies. All household income and assets are used to calculate the tenant’s portion of monthly rent.

Someone could have a fairly large retirement or savings account. Perhaps they received a lump sum settlement of some kind or sold property or other assets. The balance in these accounts does not necessarily disqualify them from being able to live in public housing; rather the interest earned on the account is included in calculating their household income.

How much would I pay for rent?

You will pay 30% of your adjusted monthly income. When we determine your income we include all sources of income and the interest earned on assets such as savings accounts. After determining your annual income, we apply any deductions you are entitled to. These deductions included $400 deduction as an elderly/disabled household, $480 for each dependent in the household, and qualifying medical expenses. Your adjusted annual income is then divided by 12 to determine your monthly adjusted income. You will pay 30% of your adjusted monthly income for rent.

NOTE: People who live at Broadview Acres, Family Development, Lincoln School Apts, and Lake Auburn Towne House pay their own electric bills and their rent is reduced by a utility allowance based on the size of their apartment.

Is electricity and heat included in the rent?

Heat & hot water is included for all units.

If someone has a boyfriend living with them do they have to let AHA know?

A family participating in a housing program, whether it is public housing or the voucher program, must disclose their total household income and household composition. If there is an income change of any kind, or if anyone moves into or out of the household, this must be reported to their Housing Specialist within 14 days.

If you suspect someone has unreported income or unreported household members, please let Auburn Housing Authority know so we can check our records and follow up with the family if necessary. Unfortunately, because of client confidentiality we will not be able to disclose the results of any complaint investigation to a complainant.

What types of services are available to tenants at Barker/ Esplanade/ Towne House?

All of our buildings are staffed by property managers, service coordinators; we also have maintenance staff on-call for emergencies at any time.

While we do not have any buildings that offer congregate or assisted living, we do have many amenities for the convenience of our tenants. Some of the amenities found at our different sites include on site beauty parlors, weekly or monthly subsidized meals, laundry facilities, community rooms for activities, wellness visits by area health care providers for issues such as flu shots and blood pressure clinics, and computer centers. Our buildings are on the local bus lines. Many agencies in the area, such as Meals on Wheels and public transportation programs, provide services to our tenants.