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Homeownership Vouchers

Overview

The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) homeownership program allows families that are assisted under the HCV program to use their voucher to buy a home and receive monthly assistance in meeting homeownership expenses.  While the HCV homeownership regulations contemplate a downpayment grant option (where the PHA offers a single downpayment assistance grant to the family instead of a monthly homeownership subsidy), funding has not been appropriated for this purpose and this regulatory provision has never been implemented. 

The HCV homeownership program is available only to families that have been admitted to the HCV program and it is not offered by every Public Housing Agency (PHA).  PHAs have discretion to determine whether to implement the HCV homeownership program in their jurisdictions.  To find a PHA in your area that may administer an HCV homeownership program, you may use the homeownership enrollments report below.  For contact information of all PHAs by State, not only PHAs administering an HCV homeownership program, click here.

To participate in the HCV homeownership program, the HCV family must meet specific income and employment requirements (the employment requirement does not apply to elderly and disabled families), be a first-time homeowner as defined in the regulation, attend and satisfactorily complete the pre-assistance homeownership and housing counseling program required by the PHA, and meet any additional eligibility requirements set by the PHA. 

Homeownership Regulations and Forms

Reports

HCV homeownership enrollments report: this report shows the number of HCV families that have been assisted under the PHA’s HCV homeownership program in the past 5 years, as reported by the PHA in HUD’s IMS/PIC system.  The report shows all new and current HCV homeownership families per year.  A total of 671 PHAs are reporting HCV homeownership enrollments, with a national average of 17 enrollments in each year from CY2013 to CY2017.

Related Programs and Notices:

  • Housing counseling: the law requires that housing counseling required under or provided in connection with all HUD programs is provided by HUD Certified Housing Counselors.  This statutory requirement was implemented by HUD through the Final rule for housing counseling certification.  PHAs are not required to become approved to participate in HUD’s Housing Counseling program (nor is the PHA’s staff required to become HUD certified counselors) as long as the PHA is not providing the homeownership and housing counseling themselves.  However, PHAs must ensure that any homeownership and housing counseling done in connection with the HCV homeownership option is provided by a HUD certified counselor working for a HUD-approved housing counseling agency.  HUD is in the process of updating the homeownership regulations to conform with this requirement.
          
  • Homeownership fees: HUD provides a special $200 fee for every homeownership closing.  More information may be found in the yearly notices implementing the funding provisions for the HCV program. 
     
  • Homebuying programs by State: provides more information about homebuying programs, other than the HCV homeownership program, in your State.