SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Despite programs to subsidize rental housing, low-income recipients often struggle to find a place as cost of living rises and landlords refuse Section 8 vouchers.

The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency manages local housing voucher programs in Sacramento and the county and has 12 different wait lists for housing. Its Housing Choice Voucher program — more commonly known as Section 8, its chapter in the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 — offers thousands of qualifying families and individuals the opportunity to pay a portion of their rent in the private market.

Qualifications provide payment for low earners, the disabled, the homeless and others suffering from housing insecurity.

A qualified tenant would pay about 30% of their income toward rent — the rest is subsidized by federal funds paid directly to the landlord.

The amount a housing choice voucher can be is based on the rental’s ZIP code and its fair market rent price, an amount considered reasonable in comparison to similar rentals in the neighborhood. These rates are not the maximum amount a landlord can charge, but the maximum amount a household can receive from their voucher.

For a two-bedroom apartment located in East Sacramento with a 95819 ZIP code, a qualified tenant would receive a $2,544 housing voucher toward rent.

During the apartment application process, landlords assess a prospective resident’s ability to pay rent and conduct general background and credit screenings, said Curtis Tumbaga, the vice president of affordable communities for FPI Management, a property management company based in Folsom that rents to Section 8 recipients.

The benefit to a landlord accepting a housing Section 8 voucher, Tumbaga said, can be long-term renters with monthly rent being paid.

Stereotypes and stigma

Homeless individuals with these vouchers told The Sacramento Bee that people are frequently turned away from rentals due to stereotypes about Section 8 recipients. Among them: the perception that Section 8 renters are more likely to damage or not properly maintain units, commit crimes or be a nuisance to neighbors.

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