Where is your office located?
We are at 103 12th Street in Fairmont, WV. Our offices are located across the street from East/West Stadium.
What is your fax number?
Our fax number is 304-366-0469
What is your mailing address?
Mailing Address |
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FMHA P.O. Box 2738 Fairmont, WV 26555-2738 |
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What is Section 8 Assistance?
Section 8 is a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program that is funded by federal money allocated to the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). Through HUD, this money is then disbursed to the housing authority to help administer the Section 8 rental assistance program, which provides eligible low income families with the financial assistance they need each month to to cover rent costs. The Housing Authority directly pays the landlord on behalf of the family each month. All program participants are required to pay 30% of their monthly income towards their own rent and utilities.
In what counties does the FMHA provide assistance?
The jurisdiction of The Fairmont-Morgantown Housing Authority is a four (4) county area, the counties that we serve are Marion, Monongalia, Preston, and Taylor.
What are the Qualifications for Section 8 Assistance?
Qualification for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV) is based on the gross annual income, household composition and criminal history.
The Federal Government requires the Housing Authority to screen all applicants and determine all families eligible prior to any rental assistance being provided.
What happens after I complete an application for Section 8 Assistance?
Your application needs to be completely filled out with ALL requested information and returned to our office. If we receive an application that is not completely filled out with ALL requested information, it may be sent back to you for your completion, which could delay you being placed on the waiting list.
You may bring your application to our office, you may mail it back in, or you may fax it to us. (If you choose to fax it please make sure you fax all pages, front and back)
Physical Address |
Mailing Address |
Fax Number |
103 12th Street Fairmont, WV 26555 |
P.O. Box 2738 Fairmont, WV 26555-2738 |
(304) 366-0469 |
Once your completed application has been received at the Housing Authority office you will then be placed on the waiting list according to the date and time your application was received and any preferences that may apply to the household.
Preferences are given to families who are currently experiencing a government declared disaster, disabled families, working families, and residency within our state of West Virginia, as per our administrative policy.
Once this has been done you will remain on our waiting list until you reach the point where we are able to send you a letter to call you in for an orientation meeting (group meeting) and move forward with determining if your family is eligible to participate in the housing choice voucher (HCV) program.
It is your responsibility to report any changes in your household while you are on the waiting list. Examples of changes that need to be reported are: your address, your phone number, you or your co-head start or lose employment, etc.
Are any preferences given to certain families and individuals applying?
Yes. Preferences are given to families who are currently experiencing a government declared disaster, disabled families, working families, and residency within our state of West Virginia, as per our administrative policy.
When will I receive my Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)?
Once your file is complete and we have all of the necessary information that we need, we will mail your housing choice voucher and a packet of paperwork for you to locate a rental unit.
Initially the housing choice voucher is issued for sixty (60) days. If you are unable to locate a suitable until within the first sixty (60) days, an extension may be granted for additional time with a WRITTEN request to your worker. However, the total time allowed on a voucher is 120 days. If you are unable to locate a rental unit within that time period you will be required to reapply to receive a new voucher.
I am having a hard time finding a rental unit. Can I request an extension?
Yes. If you are unable to locate a suitable until within the first sixty (60) days, an extension may be granted for additional time with a WRITTEN request to your worker. However, the total time allowed on a voucher is 120 days. If you are unable to locate a rental unit within that time period you will be required to reapply to receive a new voucher.
I have found a rental unit, what's the next step?
Once you have located a rental unit, sit down with the landlord and complete the packet of forms that was mailed to you with your voucher. After the paperwork is completely filled out, and both you and the landlord have signed everywhere you are required to sign, then you return it to the Housing Authority. You can bring it in, mail it in, or fax it back to us. Remember, if you are faxing it, make sure to send all pages both front and back.
Upon return to the Housing Authority, a calculation will be done to see if you can rent the unit you have chosen. Your worker has fifteen (15) days to complete the calculation and get the inspection on his/her schedule. This paperwork is processed and calculated in the order that it is received. If the calculation works out and the family is able to rent the unit, then the inspection will be completed as soon as possible.
If the calculation does not work out and the landlord is asking too much in rent, your worker will try to negotiate with the landlord on your behalf and ask him/her to lower the rent. If the landlord is not willing to lower the rent then a new set of paperwork will be mailed to you to locate a new rental unit.
When does the Rental Assistance begin?
If your rental unit passes on the initial inspection, your assistance will begin the day that you move in and all paperwork is completed. If the rental unit fails on the initial inspection, the landlord will be given thirty (30) days to make the necessary repairs. No assistance can begin until the rental unit has passed an inspection and all paperwork is signed.
The Housing Authority's share of your rent payment to the landlord is usually made with the first five (5) working days of the following month. The assistance continues each month, as long as your family remains a participant in the Section 8 HCV program.