The program is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and provides the Housing Authority with vouchers to assist families, elderly and single disabled people with monthly rental payments.

Eligible participants lease a privately owned apartment that meets certain rental guidelines and passes a housing inspection. The participant pays 30% of their adjusted gross monthly income towards the agreed upon rent. The authority mails the voucher value to the owner on or about the first of each month. The apartment may be located in a single family, a multi-family house or duplex. It can also be an apartment or condo complex.

An eligible family may choose an apartment in any community in MA. The authority shall manage the unit even if it is located outside of the Town of Framingham. If, after they are on the program for one year, it may be permissible to move out of state with assistance.

Eligibility for the program is determined by the authority using income guidelines and family criteria set by the authority and HUD. Presently, the Framingham Housing Authority’s waiting list is open.  Please note, Framingham Housing Authority is participating in the Section 8 Centralized Waiting list.

The authority will brief the family about the program requirements and the family will locate an apartment of their choice. It is the owner’s job to conduct applicant screening using the same methods he/she uses for private market tenants. The authority does not deem suitability of a tenant, nor screen for rental history. Security Deposits and tenant rent shares are paid directly by the family to the owner. The authority does not guarantee the tenants share of rent.

The eligible family and the owner will submit a written request (on a document supplied to the tenant by the authority) for apartment inspection and monthly rental amount to the authority. The authority will arrange the inspection with the apartment owner/manager. The inspection, which involves determining that the unit meets HUD and local safety codes, will be conducted in a prompt time frame. Generally, the monthly rent must be the same as rents charged by the owner for comparable private rentals in the same building or complex.

The leasing documents are prepared by the owner (one year lease or tenant at will agreement) and the authority prepares a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Contract to be completed by the owner and authority.

The lease and contract can convert into a month to month agreement after one year, or a new agreement can be entered into by owner and family.

Annually, the authority conducts an income review of the family and an inspection. Owners can evict tenants for serious, repeated lease violations (non-payment of rent, disturbances, housekeeping issues) by following the same eviction procedures required by private rental agreements. The authority may terminate a tenant’s subsidy for various program violations.

The Housing Assistance Payments Contract and Housing Inspection forms are available at the authority office.