Federally Subsidized Housing
by: Legal Aid Services of Oregon
| TIME LIMIT WARNING: Under state and federal laws there are time limits for taking action to enforce your rights. Most lawsuits related to the rental agreement and the Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act must be filed (started in court) within one year of the incident. There may be other - shorter - time limits that apply in other cases. Ask a lawyer about the time limits that could apply in your situation. |
What rights do I have if I live in federally subsidized housing?
If you live in a Housing Authority project or have some other kind of federally-subsidized housing, such as a Section 8 voucher, the rules described in this booklet protect you. You have additional rights set out in your rental agreement, federal law, federal regulations, and court orders. There have been many changes recently in federally-subsidized housing. It is important to get updated legal information if you are having a problem in federal housing.
Tenants in federally subsidized housing generally pay 30% to 35% of their income as rent or pay the amount set aside in the welfare grant to pay for housing. Tenants may be required to pay a minimum rent of $25 a month.
Tenants have a right to use their federal housing just like they would use a private home. Tenants may have guests. Landlords have no right to intrude on a tenant's privacy just because the tenant is in federal housing.
How do I get into federally subsidized housing?
Some subsidized housing is owned by the housing authority; some subsidized housing is owned by private landlords. You should call both the housing authority and the resident manager living in the buildings owned by private landlords to get on the waiting list. Low-income families and individuals can be eligible. Eligibility varies from project to project.
If the housing authority or landlord refuses to put your name on the waiting list, you may ask for a hearing or a conference. If you think that the landlord does not have a waiting list, that the landlord does not want to rent to you for any reason, or if you have questions about federally subsidized housing, contact a lawyer (see the Resources Section in the back of this booklet).
There are also loans from Rural Housing (formerly, FmHA) or the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that enable low-income and disabled persons to buy homes without a large down payment and with low monthly payments. Call Rural Housing or HUD. The numbers are listed in most local phone books. Information is also available online at www.hud.gov.
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