Housing and Community Development

CONTACT INFORMATION: Operating Hours: 8AM-4:30PM M-F
703-246-5000 TTY 711
3700 Pender Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
Tom Fleetwood
HCD Director

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Waitlist Frequently Asked Questions

The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) is opening its HCV Waitlist  on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 8 a.m. through February 4, 2019, 11:59 p.m. Following is a list of Frequently Asked Questions related to the opening of this waitlist.

 

The HCV Program (formerly “Section 8”) provides tenant-based rental support payments that enable recipients to rent any private market housing unit that accepts the vouchers. A housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by the FCRHA on behalf of the participating family. The family then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program.

You must apply online and you can use any computer, smartphone, tablet or other electronic device with internet access.
 

While the waitlist is open, you can access the pre-application by going to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/housing/waitlist. You can also find more information about what you need to apply.
 
Applicants who need internet access or assistance may go to any local county library, or come to the FCRHA Main Office located at 3700 Pender Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 or visit Access Fairfax located in Suite 125 of the Fairfax County South County Government Office at 8350 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22309 between the hours of 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
 
In addition to the location and times above, Fairfax County staff will be available at other locations to offer additional assistance. A list of locations and times as well as more information on the HCV waitlist opening can be found at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/housing/waitlist.

The waitlist will open for applications on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. through Monday, February 4, 2019 11:59 p.m. EST. You can apply at any time during this period.

If you do not have access to a computer, you can view a list of possible locations, as well as times where you may get additional assistance when applying, by visiting: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/housing/waitlist.
 
You can also visit an Access Fairfax location. Access Fairfax provides resources for residents, who otherwise would not have access to current technology.

 

You will need an email address to register.  If you do not have an email address, you will need to get one prior to submitting a pre-application.

You will need the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of all members of your household, if applicable and your current mailing address.
 
In addition, you will need to provide information about your total annual household income. Total annual household income means any money or resources coming into the household from an outside source. Examples of income includes: wages, unemployment benefits, Social Security, Social Security Disability, Supplemental Income, retirement or pension payments, child support, self-employment, and temporary agency employment.  Your income will not be used to determine if you will be placed on the waitlist or not.
 

There are many free email providers available.  Three large email providers include:  Gmail, Outlook.com and Yahoo mail.  This email will be used by us to communicate with you regarding the waitlist.  You will need to check this email account often.

Your income will not be used to determine if you will be placed on the waitlist or not.  If you are selected to the waitlist, once you reach the top of that waitlist, your eligibility for the HCV program will be determined at that time.  Eligibility requirements, including 2018 income limits, can be found at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/housing/rentalhousing/housingchoicevoucher
 

No. Everyone who applies at any time during the period from Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. through Monday, February 4, 2019 11:59 p.m. EST will have an equal chance at being added to the waitlist. In the event that more people apply than the total slots to be added to the waitlist, a computer-generated, random selection will be run giving all applicants an equal chance at placement on the waitlist.

No.  There is no cost for applying to the waitlist.

Additional assistance is available during certain times while the waitlist is open. Locations and times can be found at www.fairfaxcounty/gov/housing/waitlist.

A Reasonable Accommodation ensures that persons with disabilities have full access to all FCRHA programs and services. Any applicant may, at any time during the application process, request a reasonable accommodation to allow a person with disabilities the opportunity to apply for the waitlist. Accommodations for disabled or non-English speaking applicants will be made available upon advance request of 48 hours to allow staff to make the proper arrangements. If you require a reasonable accommodation, we ask that you call 703-246-5101 (TTY 711) no later than 48 hours before the closing of the waitlist to ensure the availability of services.

From Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. through Monday, February 4, 2019 11:59 p.m., individuals will be able to apply online to the HCV waitlist. After the application period ends, if there are more applicants than available slots on the waitlist, a computer-generated random selection will be run to determine who is placed on the waitlist. All applicants will be notified whether they have been selected to the waitlist or not.

Not at this time. We will publicly advertise when other waitlists are open.

Any one over the age of 18 who is considered the head of household can apply.  However, apply only one time; duplicates will not be accepted.
 

Yes. If you previously applied to the RAD (formerly Public Housing) Waitlist, you can still apply. Applying for the HCV waitlist will not impact your status on other waitlist.

Yes. Any one over the age of 18 who is considered the head of household can apply.  However, apply only one time; duplicates will not be accepted

If you previously registered for an account in RentCafé for a waitlist (ex. RAD Waitlist), you must use that User ID and Password.  Your User ID is the email you previously used to apply to a different waitlist. If you need to reset your password, this can be done through the online system at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/housing. Rent Café will not allow the creation of a separate account with the same name and Social Security number as an existing account. If you are still having trouble, please email us at rha@fairfaxcounty.gov or call us at 703-246-5100 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 pm to talk to our staff.

If you are having technical issues with registering or logging into the system, we encourage you to come apply in person at one of our locations. Fairfax County staff will be on site to offer additional assistance. A list of locations and times as well as more information on the HCV waitlist opening can be found at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/housing/waitlist. We cannot accept registrations over the phone. You can call 703-246-5100 from Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 pm to talk to staff if you are still experiencing technical issues.
 
 
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