Press Release: Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Recipient Secures Housing with FHF Assistanc

Hawthorne, CA- February 21, 2024 – The Fair Housing Foundation (FHF) received a request for assistance from a woman living with disabilities, Ms. Doe, who was in search of an apartment using her Housing Choice voucher (Section 8). As a newcomer to the program, Ms. Doe encountered challenges finding an apartment that would accept her Section 8 voucher, prompting her to consider requesting an extension of her voucher to secure housing. Despite the difficulties, Ms. Doe located a 2-bedroom apartment, applied, and secured it by paying a holding deposit while her application was being processed. She later received approval.

However, a week after the approval, Ms. Doe was informed by the property management that the apartment had suffered water damage, and repairs would take over a month. Suspecting discrimination due to her Section 8 voucher, Ms. Doe reached out to the Fair Housing Foundation seeking information about her rights. FHF conducted an investigation and found that the property management was advertising another 2-bedroom apartment within the same price range as quoted to Ms. Doe.

To assist Ms. Doe before her Section 8 voucher expiration, FHF contacted the property management. The property supervisor explained that the initial apartment Ms. Doe applied for was still undergoing repairs. They clarified that they had no issue renting to Ms. Doe and, in fact, offered her other 2-bedroom apartment options. Ms. Doe chose to accept the offered apartment and submitted the necessary paperwork from the Housing Authority to the property supervisor. The paperwork was completed and sent to the Housing Authority. Thanks to the mediation provided by Fair Housing Foundation, Ms. Doe was able to secure housing using her Section 8 voucher, and thus prevented her from losing its benefits.