Section 8 Housing - Yakima Housing Authority

Section 8 - Housing Choice Voucher Program

Yakima Housing Authority (YHA) provides rental assistance to low-income families in the private rental market through the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Eligible individuals or families will meet the following requirements:

• Must be low income
• Must not have any felony convictions in the last three years.

Those who qualify will pay approximately 30-percent of their income for rent and utilities and are able to select housing in the private rental market from any landlord that accepts Section 8 – Housing Choice Vouchers.

You can apply for Section 8 housing at our main office located at 810 N. 6th Avenue.  You can also apply online by clicking here. For a Spanish language online application click here.

To view our Admin Plan for Section 8, please click on the links below:

• Admin Plan
• Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs) - Temporary Policy Supplement
• HUD Waivers Provided Under the CARES Act Memo - Amended
• HUD Waivers Provided Under the Cares Act Memo - Amended (06.15.21)
• Section8 Utility Allowances

HUD Brochure: A Good Place to Live!

Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs)

HUD has allocated Yakima Housing Authority (YHA) 75 Emergency Housing Vouchers. (EHVs). 

In order to be eligible for an EHV, an individual or family must meet one of four eligibility categories:

• Homeless
• At risk of homelessness
• Fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking.
• Recently homeless and for whom providing rental assistance will prevent the family’s homelessness or having high risk of housing instability.

If you believe that you may be eligible for EHV assistance, you must contact one of the partnering agencies listed below to begin the referral process.

Yakima County
Department of Human Services
128 N. 2^nd Street., Rm 102
Yakima, WA 98901
https://www.yakimacounty.us/2465/Coordinated-Entry 

YWCA Yakima
818 W. Yakima Ave.
Yakima, WA 98902
dmartinez@ywcayakima.org

HopeSource
700 E. Mountain View Ave., Suite 500
Ellensburg, WA 98926
Phone: 509.925.1448
Fax: 509.925.1204

Veterans (VASH) and Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) Vouchers
In addition to the Housing Choice Voucher program which is available to any qualifying low-income family, YHA offers two specialty voucher programs designed to provide rental assistance to homeless veterans and non-elderly disabled individuals transitioning from care facilities to permanent homes in their communities.

Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing – VASH
The primary goal of HUD-VASH is to help veterans and their families successfully move out of homelessness. The program is designed to improve each veteran’s health and mental health, and to enhance each veteran’s ability to remain stable, housed, and integrated in their local community. This is done using HUD Section 8 “Housing Choice” rental assistance vouchers and VA’s intensive case management services. Veterans who are admitted to the HUD-VASH program are assigned to a VA case manager for assessment and treatment planning. Assistance in obtaining the Section 8 voucher is also provided.

For more information about the VASH Program please click here.

The HUD-VASH program is intended for veterans who:

• are eligible for VA health care services;
• are chronically homeless, meaning homeless for a year or more, or four or more times in the past three years;
• have some type of income to pay for their housing;
• are motivated to improve the quality of their lives by working with a VA case manager and actively participating in treatment for their conditions.

Veterans who are interested in the HUD-VASH program should first contact their local Veterans Affairs Center.

A clinician will complete the referral paperwork and send it to the HUD-VASH Admission Team for review. The Admission Team will assess the veteran’s eligibility and need for ongoing case management.

If the veteran is admitted to the program, a case manager will be assigned to begin working with the veteran on a treatment plan and connection to services. The veteran will also be assisted in obtaining a Section 8 housing voucher and in locating appropriate housing in the community.

There is no time limit for being in the HUD-VASH program. However, veterans who refuse VA case management may lose their Section 8 voucher from HUD.

Special Vouchers for Non-Elderly Disabled - NED
The goal of the NED Section 8 Voucher program is to enable non-elderly households with disabilities to transition from nursing homes and other health care institutions into the community. These institutions could include intermediate care facilities and specialized institutions that care for people with developmental disabilities, or mental illness.

Eligible participants must be below the age of 62 with a disability and residing in an institution, such as a nursing home, residential habilitation center (facility for individuals with developmental disabilities), or a facility for individuals with mental illness.

Participants must also agree to actively participate in the service planning process to assist in successful transition to the community.

For more information about the NED Program please click here. 

To determine if you qualify, please contact Amanda Delp at 509-453-3106 x 116.

Section 8 Hearing Policy
For the Section 8 hearing policy please click here.