Fairmont/Morgantown Housing Authority

Section 8 now accepting applications!

You can get much needed help for your rental expenses, saving you possibly up to 70% of your monthly income.

Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937 was designed to assist income-eligible families to rent safe, decent, and affordable housing. Since then the Section 8 Program has assisted literally hundreds of thousands of families to afford suitable housing, who otherwise would have been homeless, or living in substandard housing. Over the years the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program has been enhanced to provide opportunities such as savings accounts toward education or business start-up, and various home ownership options.

The Fairmont and Morgantown Housing Authorities are committed to delivering these opportunities to any and all families that qualify for such assistance within our jurisdiction of Marion, Monongalia, Preston, and Taylor Counties.

Our motto: "Helping You Home" means just that, assisting qualifying families obtain a home in which they can thrive and grow, and perhaps some day, even call their own.

HOW CAN YOU QUALIFY?

Qualification for the Section 8 Program is based on Income Guidelines. These guidelines are listed below. Any family (including singles) whose income falls within the income guidelines may qualify for assistance. The Federal Government requires Housing Authorities to screen out applicants who engage in violent/drug-related criminal activities, or who are registered sex offenders.

APPLICATION PROCESS

You may obtain an application for the Section 8 Program by clicking here or at the Housing Authority office. Mail or hand-carry your completed application to the FHA Office .  Bring or mail your completed application to the housing authority upon completion, so that you may be placed on the Section 8 waiting list. Preference is given to families who have a disabled family member or are in a federally declared disaster situation. Once you have been selected from the waiting list you will be scheduled for an eligibility meeting to verify your income and family composition, as well as other eligibility criteria.  Once this information has been verified you will be scheduled for an orientation meeting, at which time you will receive your housing voucher. and be given the necessary paperwork to present to a prospective landlord.

CHOOSING A RENTAL UNIT

Families with a Housing Voucher are responsible for finding their own rental unit through the newspapers, or other public advertisements and postings for available rental property. The Housing Authority also maintains a list of landlords who have expressed interest in renting to persons on our program. When you have identified a rental unit that suits your needs, your assigned clerk will perform an affordability review. Initially the family may pay between 30% and 40% of their adjusted monthly income toward their rental expenses. After the initial lease period of a year, a family may pay a greater percentage of their adjusted monthly income toward rental expenses. After the review is completed your assigned clerk will contact you and your prospective landlord to schedule your unit for an initial inspection.

If the unit passes the initial inspection, your assistance will begin the day that you move in. If necessary, your landlord will be given thirty (30) days to make any required repairs. After the unit passes the reinspection, you may move in and begin receiving assistance.

INCOME GUIDELINES FOR 2011
Note: Morgantown is now a MSA that includes Monongalia and Preston County

# In the Family	Marion	Monongalia (MSA)	Taylor
1	17,150	19,600	15,950
2	19,600	22,400	18,200
3	22,050	25,200	20,500
4	24,500	27,950	22,750
5	26,500	30,200	24,600
6	28,450	32,450	26,400
7	30,400	34,700	28,250
8	32,350	36,900	30,050

Note: To be eligible for the Section 8 program, families' gross annual income must be below the highest "Very Low" income limit for the jurisdiction, and below the "Very Low" income limit for the area in which they enter their first lease.

For each person in excess of eight, 8 percent of the four-person base should be added to the eight person income limit. For example, the nine-person limit equals 140% (132 + 8 %) of the relevant four-person income limit, I.e., a nine-person Marion County family would have an income limit of: 140% times $23,900 equals $30,460
Income limits are rounded to the nearest $50.00