To qualify for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program an applicant family must be called from the waiting list and then must meet the following eligibility requirements. For further information on these requirements, see Chapter 3 of Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s (FCRHA) HCV Administrative Plan.
Income
- A household’s total income must not exceed 50 percent of the Area Median Income (as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for our area) based on the number of individuals in the household:
Number of People Income Limits (FY 2021) 1 $45,150 2 $51,600 3 $58,050 4 $64,500 5 $69,700 6 $74,850 7 $80,000 8 $85,150 - Citizenship or Eligible Immigration Status
- At least one member of the household must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national or have eligible immigration status.
Social Security Numbers
All members of the household must provide a complete and accurate social security number (SSN). This requirement does not apply to non-citizens who do not have eligible immigration status.
Criminal Activity
If any household member has ever been convicted of producing or manufacturing methamphetamine, or any other crime that requires them to be registered as a lifetime sex offender under a state sex offender registration program, the individual is not eligible. In addition, if any household member is currently engaged in or has engaged in any of the following criminal activities within the past three years, the family will be denied assistance:
- Drug-related criminal activity
- Violent criminal activity;
- Other criminal activity as outlined in FCRHA’s Administrative Plan
Criteria Used to Select Applicants
FCRHA screens applicants for eligibility based on HUD rules. When the FCRHA HCV Waitlist is open, the FCRHA will accept applications. The FCRHA will review each completed application selected randomly through the lottery system and make a preliminary assessment of each family’s eligibility. Eligible applicants will be placed on the waiting list and grouped according to local preferences for which the family is qualified. The FCRHA has established the following local preferences, which gives priority to serving families that meet those criteria:
- Homeless preference
- Working preference
- Residency preference
- Rent burden preference