The Section 8 Rental Voucher Assistance Program provides rental assistance to any eligible family by issuing a Voucher based on availability. Families wishing to participate in this program must apply for assistance by submitting an application to the Bernalillo County Housing Department (BCHD) for placement on the Waiting List. Participants in the program must pay a minimum of 30% of their monthly-adjusted income towards the gross rent of the dwelling unit. The Department will pay the balance of the contract rent directly to the landlord. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) does not regulate the amount of rent a landlord may charge on their unit, however, they do require that a rent-reasonableness comparison be done in the area to determine the maximum rent. Any rent that is over the payment standard for that unit size will have to be paid by the Voucher Holder.
The Section 8 Rental Voucher Assistance Program is designed to achieve three major objectives:
- To provide decent, safe and sanitary housing for low income families while maintaining their rent payments at an affordable level.
- To promote freedom of housing choice and deconcentration of low-income families of all races and ethnic backgrounds.
- To provide an incentive to private property owners to rent to low income families by offering timely assistance payments.
In addition, the following goals have been set for the Section 8 Rental Voucher Assistance Program:
- To assist the local economy by increasing the occupancy rate and the amount of money flowing to the community.
- To encourage self-sufficiency of participating families by offering a Family Self-Sufficiency Program.
- Offering homeownership opportunities through our Section 8 Voucher Choice Homeownership Program.
Anyone wishing to apply for assistance can do so by completing the application on this site and returning it to the Bernalillo County Housing Department located at 1900 Bridge SW.
Landlords wishing to list their properties with our agency can do so by contacting the Bernalillo County Housing Department at (505) 314-0200.
It is the policy of the Bernalillo County Housing Department (BCHD) to comply fully with all Federal, State and Local nondiscrimination laws and with the rules and regulations governing Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in housing and employment. | 
