The Lancaster County Housing Authority offers the Housing Choice Voucher and Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.
There are four different Housing Choice Voucher types offered by the Lancaster County Housing AuthorTenant Based Vouchers (Commonly known as the “Section 8” program)
Vouchers are issued to tenants who have applied and are qualified to receive assistance. These vouchers are the majority of the vouchers available through the Lancaster County Housing Authority.
- Project Based Vouchers
Project Based Vouchers or PBVs are a component of the overarching Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. PBVs are vouchers assigned specifically to a housing unit. Up to 20% of the vouchers held by a housing authority can be used as Project Based Vouchers.
- Emergency Housing Vouchers
The Emergency Housing Voucher or EHV program was made available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for COVID-19 Pandemic Relief and Assistance. Lancaster County has 38 total EHVs, of these 14 EHVs are issued and an additional 22 are leased.
- Non-Eldery Disabled Vouchers (NED)
This voucher program serves a special population, non-elderly persons with disabilities. Lancaster County has 50 total NED vouchers.
Moderate Rehabilitation (Mod Rehab) is another program offered by the Lancaster County Housing Authority which is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Mod Rehab program was established Under Section 524 of the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (MAHRA) (Public Law 105-65, October 27, 1997.) Under this program, there are 8 affordable unit projects, some with more than one building. The building's individual units are subsidized similarly to the HCV tenant based vouchers. Tenants are chosen by the owner/landlord of the buildings and a normal landlord/tenant relationship is established. The Housing Authority provides rental assistance to a family while they are living in the unit. If a family moves out, rental assistance stops, the family is not entitled to a regular, transferable HCV voucher but may reapply for a different Mod Rehab unit. The Mod Rehab program is currently closed to new landlords. Current owners may choose to opt out of the program, giving a one-year notice per HUD regulations.
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) began in March 2020 and is no longer accepting applications. ERAP was a county-administered program that offered rental assistance and housing stability services to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The program focused on two components: Rental and Utility Assistance, and Housing Stability Services. The Lancaster County Housing Authority was awarded a total of $64 Million to disperse to families who live in Lancaster County and Lancaster City. We are currently closed to new applications while working to serve the remaining people on the waiting list and to provide continued assistance to those applicants currently receiving subsidy.