Low-income individuals and families should learn how to apply for Section 8 housing in New Jersey in order to be eligible for financial assistance toward a safe, sanitary and affordable home. By choosing to sign up for HUD housing in New Jersey, applicants are able to qualify for quality rental homes with rental subsidy payments which are sent directly to the landlords. However, understanding how to apply for housing assistance goes beyond simply submitting a Section 8 application. There are many different facets to the Section 8 program that prospective applicants should know. For instance, learning when to submit a Section 8 application in New Jersey is crucial, especially since the waiting list is closed to new applicants for a majority of the year.

Learn When to Submit HUD Section 8 Applications in New Jersey

Understanding how to apply for housing assistance in New Jersey means knowing when a Section 8 application is able to be submitted. Most applicants who wish to register for Section 8 housing program benefits do not understand that certain housing authorities will open and close throughout the year based on housing units available. A critical part of knowing how to sign up for Section 8 involves researching the dates that a waiting list will reopen. In New Jersey, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will gauge when a waiting list will reopen to the public to submit a preliminary Section 8 application. Applicants who wish to sign up for HUD housing should keep an eye out on the DCA website as well as local newspapers, as public notice will be announced in advance. There may be a small window of opportunity for applicants to register for Section 8 housing program benefits, so staying on top of enrollment dates is crucial.

Learn How to Sign up for Section 8 Benefits in New Jersey

Determining how to sign up for Section 8 in New Jersey starts with meeting eligibility requirements. Initially, applicants who seek to sign up for HUD housing should first establish if the gross total income for their household meets the maximum required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Once the eligibility requirements are met, applicants should seek to register for Section 8 housing program benefits in the county they wish to live in. Claimants should only submit a Section 8 application during open enrollment periods. The DCA will not accept a preliminary Section 8 application for a waiting list that has already closed. Once applicants sign up for HUD housing and are approved, they will be placed on the waiting list according to the date and time the application was submitted. If selected for the waiting list, then a notification will be emailed to each applicant within six weeks. After applicants register for Section 8 housing program benefits and are selected for the waiting list, they will need to pass an eligibility screening by the DCA to determine if they meet all the criteria outlined for the Section 8 program. Applicants who sign up for HUD housing should be prepared for the type of information which will be requested of them during the preliminary Section 8 application as well as the eligibility screening. Specifics to the type of information may vary, but some of the most basic information includes:

• Name, date of birth, Social Security Number and gender of the head of household.
• Names of all individuals in the household.
• Social Security Numbers for all individuals in the household.
• Gross annual income for the household before taxes.
• Any disabilities or eligibility preferences.

It is important for all applicants who register for Section 8 housing program benefits to stay on top of their Section 8 application while on the waiting list. If information changes, such as current address or changes in income or household size, then applicants are required to notify the DCA immediately. Applicants who sign up for HUD housing and are placed on the waiting list will lose their place in line if they fail to maintain accurate information on their application.

Learn How to Check the Status of Your Section 8 Application in New Jersey

After learning the basics of how to apply for housing assistance in New Jersey and submitting a Section 8 application, what happens next? For most applicants who sign up for HUD housing, they can simply log on to the waitlist website after a few weeks to see whether or not they have been selected. Applicants who register for Section 8 housing program benefits and see “active” as their waiting list status means they were selected by the lottery. Applicants listed as “inactive” were not selected. If an applicant submits a preliminary Section 8 application and does not receive a confirmation email within two months, then that means the preliminary Section 8 application was not selected in the lottery and the applicants will not be placed on the waiting list. For applicants who register for a Section 8 program and make it to the waiting list, the DCA will be in contact to make an appointment for eligibility screening as funding or housing assistance becomes available. As long as all program requirements are met, the applicant will most likely receive a housing voucher.