Housing Choice Voucher Program
The Housing Choice Voucher Program is a City of Winchester program. The Virginia Housing Development Authority contracts with the city to administer this program. The program does not allow tenants to pay any more than 30-40% of their own income. The HCVP pays the difference.
This program provides low-income families with decent, safe and sanitary housing at prices they can afford. The are several requirements that must be met in order to be deemed eligible for assistance. Eligibility is determined by household income and family size.
The income limits for household size are as follows
(as of May 14, 2010):
| # of Houshold members | Clarke County | Frederick County | Winchester City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $36,250 | $22,250 | $22,250 |
| 2 | $41,400 | $25,400 | $25,400 |
| 3 | $46,600 | $28,600 | $28,600 |
| 4 | $51,750 | $31,750 | $31,750 |
| 5 | $55,900 | $34,300 | $34,300 |
| 6 | $60,050 | $36,850 | $36,850 |
| 7 | $64,200 | $39,400 | $39,400 |
| 8 | $68,350 | $41,950 | $41,950 |
*** Please note that these payments standards are subject to change.
The unit that a voucher holder wished to reside in must be deemed “affordable” for the family.
There are payment standards that VHDA has set for unit sizes participating with our program. If a family finds a unit that they would like to live in but the rent is higher than the payment standard, as long as the family is able to afford the unit the program will still cover a portion of the rent.
Those payment standards are as follows
(Effective March 1, 2012):
| Clarke County | Frederick County | Winchester City | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SRO Bedroom | $874 | $489 | $489 |
| 0 Bedrooms | $1166 | $653 | $653 |
| 1 Bedroom | $1328 | $678 | $678 |
| 2 Bedrooms | $1506 | $895 | $895 |
| 3 Bedrooms | $1943 | $1235 | $1235 |
| 4 Bedrooms | $2542 | $1271 | $1271 |
| 5 Bedrooms | $2923 | $1461 | $1461 |
| 6 Bedrooms | $3304 | $1652 | $1652 |
| 7 Bedrooms | $3685 | $1842 | $1842 |
| 8 Bedrooms | $4067 | $2033 | $2033 |
*** Please note that these payments standards are subject to change.
The Office of Housing and Neighborhood Development was created to primarily serve the City of Winchester; however, we do accept applications from individuals that do not live in City limits.
All applications are processed in the order that they were received, with the exception of our first preference.
City of Winchester Waiting List Selection Process
Applicants are selected in order of date and time of application by preference.
- First preference is given to applicants living and/or working in the City of Winchester.
- Second preference is given to those applicants who are Working Families: Families where the head, spouse, or sole member is either employed, is age 62 or older, or is a person with disabilities.
- Third preference is given to those applicants who are Homeless: “Any person or family that lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; or is living in a shelter, an institution that provides a temporary assistance, or a public or private place not designated for regular sleeping accommodation”.
- All other applicants are selected after preference holders are selected in order of date and time of their application.