Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher

The Section 8 Rental Assistance Program can help you pay your rent if you are income eligible. Eligible families and individuals select their own rental units, and pay 30% to 40% of their adjusted gross income towards rent and utilities. Northwest Minnesota Multi-County HRA pays the balance of the rent

Service Area

Rent assistance through our office can be received in the following eight counties in Northwest Minnesota: Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk (with the exception of the City of Crookston and the City of East Grand Forks), Red Lake, Roseau and Lake of the Woods Counties. Each applicant must live in a unit using their voucher for one year in the area this HRA serves before moving with the voucher to an area outside of the area this HRA serves. If you do not currently live in our service area and do not wish to move to our area, please contact your local housing authority. To request an application, for assistance with an application or additional questions, please contact this office at 218-637-2431 or e-mail stacy@nwmnhra.org.

Who Can Apply For Rent Assistance?

This program is open to lower income families, elderly and handicapped individuals, and single individuals without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, source of income, or present residential location.

What are the income limits to qualify for rental assistance?

Household Size	Income Limit
1	$ 30,850
2	$ 35,300
3	$ 39,700
4	$ 44,100
5	$ 47,650
6	$ 51,150
7	$ 54,700
8	$ 58,200
Limits change annually and vary with each county

How does the waiting list work?

Your application is selected according to income, family composition, funding available and categories needed. It is not first come first serve; therefore, there is no way to determine when your name may be selected. It could be one month or it could be over a year. When your name comes to the top of the list, you will be contacted.

How does the program work?

Complete an application for rent assistance and return the application to the HRA.
If your application is approved, your name will placed on the waiting list.
When your name comes to the top of the list you will be contacted by phone or mail. At that point your income, assets and expenses will be verified. Eligible individuals will then be given a voucher.
You find a suitable unit, discuss the rent assistance program with the owner and contact the HRA.
The HRA inspects the unit.
If the unit is suitable, leases and contracts will be signed.
As a voucher participant, you will pay 30% to 40% of your adjusted income towards rent and utilities and the HRA pays the balance of the rent to the owner.

How can I apply for rental assistance?

You can download an application by clicking below, by calling our office at 218-637-2431 or by e-mailing us at stacy@nwmnhra.org.

Downloaded application is not a fillable form. You must print it out, complete it and mail the original to our office address listed on the back of the application.

Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS)

FSS is a program that works in coordination with the Section 8 Voucher program. Any family with a voucher may apply for the FSS program.

The Housing Authority will help the family as the family strives to become self-sufficient. The FSS program is designed for families that increase their income by earning money through employment. Income that is unearned (MFIP, Social Security, child support) is not taken into consideration in this program.

The Housing Authority will put money into an escrow account for families that increase their income through earned income. If after five years the family remains on the rent assistance program, the escrow account accumulated will be given to the family to do with what the family chooses.

If you are on our rent assistance program and would like an application for FSS call our office at 218-637-2431 or click here to download.

Section 8 Homeownership

In the Section 8 Homeownership program, the HRA payments go towards making a participant's mortgage payment rather than towards rent assistance payments. The program is open to participants who have been on the voucher program for at least one year and are on the Family Self-Sufficiency program or are disabled.

To get on this program the family must be issued a Homeownership voucher. To get a Homeownership voucher a family must be employed for a year, make a certain amount of money each year and be a first time home buyer. Disabled families are given certain exemptions (i.e. do not need to be employed).

For further information about the Homeownership program call 218-637-2431 or e-mail kathy@nwmnhra.org

Northwest Minnesota Multi-County

Housing & Redevelopment Authority