Tenants

The Section 8 Voucher Program is operated by the Washington County and Hagerstown Housing Authorities. Rent subsidies are provided to eligible families so that they can afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing on the local rental market. (If you want to rent a unit inside the Hagerstown City limits, contact the Hagerstown Housing Authority.)

• Application
• Complaints
• Forms
• Payment Standards
• Property Standards

What standards must the property meet?

General health and safety standards specified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), known as Housing Quality Standards, and portions of the BOCA National Property Maintenance Code. Initial and annual inspections are made of all properties, which may be duplexes, apartments, single family dwellings, or mobile homes.   Click here to view the standard HUD inspection form. (Top of Page)

How do I apply?

County residents complete an application in person or through the mail at the County Section 8 Office and City residents apply at the City Section 8 Office. Applicant names are placed on a wait list according to date of application and need. When the name reaches the top of the list, the applicant is given 60 days to find suitable housing. The length of time an applicant waits for assistance depends on how fast other families go off the program thereby freeing subsidy dollars, and on the particular family's priority points.

If an applicant is denied Section 8 assistance, the applicant may request an informal hearing. The hearing process is designed to assure that the decisions made by the Housing Authority comply with local, state and federal laws, HUD regulations and Housing Authority approved rules and policies. Click here to read more about the Hearing policies.

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Payment Standards effective 11/1/2009 (and not changed 11/2010)

0 BR-$593; 1 BR-$681; 2 BR-$870; 3 BR-$1,255; 4 BR-$1,296; 5 BR-$1,490 and trailer pads $348  (Top of Page)

Forms you may need:

• Change Form
• Utility Allowances
• Water and Sewer Allowances
• Family Self-Sufficiency

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Complaints

If you believe a Section 8 tenant or landlord may be violating the letter or spirit of the rental assistance program, we have created a complaint form that will assist us in gathering information we would need to correct the situation or terminate the assistance arrangement.

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Further information

For further information on the Section 8 Rental Assistance program, interested parties may call or visit the Section 8 offices serving the Hagerstown or Washington County areas at one of the following locations:

Hagerstown Housing Authority, Rental Assistance Department, 35 West Baltimore Street, Hagerstown, MD 21740 301-733-6911