How the Program Works

CHA’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program plays a vital role in housing families with children, the elderly and people with disabilities across Chicago. Using federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the voucher program helps participant families pay for housing in the private market, such as apartments, duplexes, condominiums, townhouses and single-family homes. Participant families contribute 30-40% of their income toward rent and utilities and CHA pays the remainder directly to the property owner.

Since there are more families who need rental assistance than there are funds available, CHA uses a waiting list to administer the program. Currently, the HCV wait list is closed. Notice will be posted through a variety of media outlets when it reopens. 

Generally, when a voucher becomes available, the family at the top of the waiting list is contacted and screened for eligibility Once selected from the waitlist, the family follows the steps outlined below:

1. Apply and interview
2. Attend a voucher briefing
3. Select a unit, submit a Request for Tenancy Approval
4. Await inspection results
5. Await rent determination
6. Sign the lease
7. Move in, pay rent and utilities
8. Comply with HUD and CHA’s rules and regulations

After admission to the program, families must re-establish eligibility approximately every two years. All household members must follow the terms of the lease with the property owner and CHA’s Family Obligations to remain in good standing on the program. 

For a high-level overview of the program, see the HCV At a Glance Flyer (HCV en resumen).

For the HCV Program's official policies, see the HCV Administrative Plan.

For more on HCV Program processes and participant family resources, see the Participant Guidebook.

For information about moving with a voucher, see the Participant Pocket Guide (Guía de Bolsillo para el Participante).

Eligibility 

Applicant families must meet the following eligibility requirements to qualify for the HCV Program:

• Meet HUD’s definition of family
• Meet income limits specified by HUD
• Qualify on the basis of citizenship or eligible immigrant status
• Provide Social Security number information
• Sign required consent forms
• Pass screening process

Portability

Effective January 1, 2017, CHA will bill the initial PHA for the Participant’s Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and fees associated with administering the voucher.

An eligible family that has been issued a housing choice voucher may use that voucher to lease a unit anywhere in the United States where there is a housing agency operating a HCV Program. This feature of the program is referred to as portability. CHA’s HCV Program allows for families with a voucher from another Housing Authority to transfer their voucher to Chicago. This process is called “porting in” to CHA. The process of transferring a voucher from one city to another varies, depending on a number of factors. To view CHA's current rules on portability see the Portability Flyer.

For New Port in clients please send all inquiries to portabilityfax@thecha.org

For Port Billable clients please send all inquiries to hcvportability@thecha.org

LEASE EFFECTIVE DATES

Effective October 2019: the Chicago Housing Authority will now allow the lease effective date to be on any day of the month, except the 1st.

Payment standards

Payment standards represent the maximum amount of subsidy that CHA can provide a family. CHA does not automatically approve this rent level for a given unit. CHA's monthly rent subsidy depends on a number of factors, including payment standards, the rents of other comparable unsubsidized rental units in the area, and the income of the family

Please see CHA's Rent Determination Process and procedures on approving rent increases.

Utility Allowance

Participants in the HCV program pay approximately 30% of their income for rent and utilities. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has defined Total Tenant Payment (TTP) for "rent" to include both shelter and the costs for reasonable amounts of utilities. The amount determined necessary cover the resident's reasonable utility costs is the utility allowance.

Modification fund

CHA has partnered with the Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) to offer HCV participants with a verifiable disability the opportunity to receive home accessibility modifications to make their current or soon-to-be home more accessible, free of charge. Modifications can include, but are not limited to: ramps, porch or stair lifts, widened doorways, accessible sinks or cabinets, roll-in showers, grab bars or grab rails, zero-step entry or room transitions. While multiple modifications can be requested per project, funding is capped at $10,000 per project. Modifications are completed by licensed, insured and experienced home remodeling companies.

To apply for a modification, HCV participants must first submit a Request for Reasonable Accommodation.  For more information about the Modification Fund, please see the HomeMod Fund Flyer, call 312-913-7062 or email fairhousing@thecha.org.

HCV Health and Wellness Program

The Chicago Housing Authority's HCV Health and Wellness Program aims to help HCV participants and their household members focus on their overall health and well-being with personalized services such as case management, care coordination, individual and family therapy and access to community-based resources.

For more information, including who to contact for assistance or referral, see the HCV Health and Wellness Program Flyer.

Regional Office Locations

CHA operates three Regional Offices to accommodate in-person visits. HCV Program participants will be assigned to one of these offices (based on ZIP code) to attend appointments and conduct business with CHA.

All HCV Program offices are open from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday*.

*Beginning September 1, 2023, all HCV Program offices will only see walk-in clients on Wednesdays. Anyone requiring assistance from back-office personnel (i.e., housing specialists, liaisons, supervisors, managers) on any other open office day will need to schedule an appointment. As always, clients may continue to pick up and drop off documents, if necessary, at any of the office locations. In addition, those experiencing emergency situations will be accommodated, however wait times may vary.

Servicing offices are assigned based on ZIP code. Please reference the chart below to determine which office services your area.

Regional Office Locations and ZIP Codes Served

The Central Office services any ZIP codes not referenced above, all Applicants to the HCV Program as well as those who participate in CHA’s Special Programs (LevelUp (formerly FSS), Mobility Counseling and Choose To Own Homeownership).