The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) offers public housing and rental assistance to families that meet the eligibility requirements.  The lists below outline the eligibility criteria for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and Public Housing Programs.

 

PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY
To view the current income limits please click here and select the current year.

HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD REQUIREMENTS

- Must be 18 years of age or older.  
- Must be a "family" as defined by HUD.
- Annual gross income must be within the current limits set by HUD.
- Meet the income limits based on the current median household income in Los Angeles County.
- Must be 62 years of age and older.
- Annual income must be within the current limits set by HUD.
- Meet the income limits based on the current median household income in Los Angeles County.
The LACDA gives preference to families who reside or work within the LACDA jurisdiction. Preferences are used to establish the order of placement on the public housing waiting list, including the date and time of registration. Please note, the LACDA local preferences are verified by the LACDA at the time of the full-application process.  

To verify if your current resident or work address is within the LACDA’s jurisdiction, please click here.

SECTION 8 PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

The applicant must qualify as a family.  The LACDA defines a family as a single person or a group of persons as follows, regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, identity, or marital status:

An elderly family - A family whose head, co-head, spouse, or sole member is a person who is at least 62 years old.  

A disabled family - A family whose head, co-head, spouse, or sole member is a person with disabilities.  

A group of persons - Two or more persons sharing residency, who are not categorized as an elderly or disabled family, whose income and resources are available to meet family needs.  There must be a relation by blood, marriage, or operation of law, or the group must provide evidence of a significant relationship determined to be stable by the LACDA.

A single person - A person who lives alone, or intends to live alone, who is not categorized as an elderly or disabled family. 

Individuals must be U.S. citizens or non-citizens with eligible immigration status.  To receive assistance, applicants must provide evidence of citizenship or eligible immigration status.  Each family member must declare their status one time. The LACDA will verify citizenship information with other eligibility factors.

Each family member, regardless of age, must sign a declaration of U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status.  The LACDA considers the citizenship/eligible immigration status of each family member individually before determining the family’s status.

Eligible immigrants must fall into one of the categories specified by the regulations, and must sign a consent form to have their status verified by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  The LACDA will accept any of the following documents to confirm eligible immigration status:

     - Resident Alien Card (I-551)

     - Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151)

     - Arrival-Departure Record (I-94)

     - Temporary Resident Card (I-688)

     - Employment Authorization Card (I-688B)

     - A USCIS-issued receipt, for issuance of replacement of any of the above documents that shows individual’s entitlement has been verified

The LACDA may grant extensions if individuals need time to obtain the required documents.

One member of the applicant family must be a citizen or eligible immigrant to be eligible for assistance. A family that includes eligible and ineligible individuals may qualify for prorated assistance.  The applicant family must provide the name(s) of any family member(s) who choose not to declare citizenship or eligible immigrant status.

Applicant families will be provided the opportunity to appeal the decision in a USCIS appeal process and an informal hearing. 

To be eligible for the program, a family’s gross annual income must be below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI) in Los Angeles County.  Seventy-five percent of new admissions must have gross annual incomes at or below 30% of the AMI. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) determines the AMI yearly.

To achieve the required balance, the LACDA may need to skip over otherwise eligible families.  If this occurs, families that are skipped will keep the time and date of application and be admitted when an appropriate opening becomes available.
Eligible families must submit all verification forms and documents.  Family members age 18 and over must sign a Criminal Background Consent form to authorize the release of criminal history information to the LACDA.  All family members age 18 and over are subject to a criminal background check, and possibly a credit check.

Note: The LACDA does not allow registered sex offenders to participate in the programs.