The Arlington County Housing Choice Voucher Waitlist lottery is currently taking applications! Apply at any time of the day now through September 23, 2023 and still have the same chance of being added to the waitlist. Apply and learn more by visiting http://arlingtonva.us/HCV2023.

About the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Formerly Known As Section 8)

The Housing Choice Voucher Program, formerly known as Section 8, is "rental assistance provided in the form of a voucher to eligible families so that they can obtain housing from private landlords." (Thanks to the District Alliance for Safe Housing, or DASH, for this straightforward definition!)

"Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments," says the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD. "The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects."

About the Waitlist Lottery

There are a limited number of vouchers available, so the Arlington Housing Choice Voucher Program (AHCVP) maintains a Waitlist of eligible households. On average, AHCVP only opens the Waitlist for application every 10-20 years. After the application period is completed in September 2023, AHCVP will conduct a lottery and retain 5,000 applicants on the HCV Waitlist going forward. 

Arlington Opens Its Housing Voucher Waitlist for the First Time in More than a Decade

"Only about 1,550 families in Arlington currently use a Housing Choice Voucher, which covers the vast majority of a household's rent. HUD requires eligible applicants to meet certain income limits, and in Arlington, 75% of voucher recipients must be 'extremely low-income' – about $32,000 for a single household – with the rest considered 'very low-income,' or about $53,000 for a single household."

Getting By: How Northern Virginians Respond When There is Less to Go Around

"To cope with rising costs, families at all income levels are changing their habits. The majority of families are cutting back on discretionary spending. Nearly half of families at all income levels have compromised their financial health, including taking on more debt, and getting behind on bills. More than a quarter were sacrificing a basic need, such as delaying medical care, keeping their homes at an unsafe temperature, or going hungry."