The Section 8 Waiting List Lottery OPENS
Monday, October 17th at 6:00 a.m. until Sunday, October 30th at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Information on the Section 8 Waiting List Lottery
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) is opening the Section 8 Waiting List Lottery. Section 8 is a federal rental assistance program that helps very low-income individuals and families, including the elderly and people with disabilities afford decent, safe and decent housing. Once the application period closes, a lottery will be conducted to select 30,000 applicants, who will then be placed on the Waiting List for the Section 8 program.
Applications for the Section 8 Waiting List lottery must be submitted online hacla.hcvlist.org and will not be available in paper form. Applications will not be available or accepted at any HACLA office.
If you require assistance completing an application because of a disability, translation or need for a specific communication format, call (213) 523-SEC8 (7328) or toll-free (877) 621-SEC8 (7328) / 7-1-1 from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, every day during the lottery application period.
It is FREE to apply for HACLA’s Section 8 Waiting List Lottery and you should never pay anyone who says they can help you move up on the list or get a voucher!
To apply for the lottery, you need:
1. Your email address (to create an email account, go to gmail.com or yahoo.com or get help at your local library);
2. The full name, date of birth, and Social Security number/Alien Registration number (if you have one) for the Head of Household and their Spouse/Co-Head (if applicable);
3. A current residential address (if you have one) and a mailing address;
4. The total number of people (including yourself) that will live in the household;
5. The combined annual income for all household members; and
6. Optional: A paper and pen ready to write down the confirmation number of your submitted application for the lottery (you will also receive an email with this information).
HACLA Section 8 Waiting List Lottery Overview Video
DISCLAIMER
Submission of a lottery application provides an opportunity for applicants to be selected for the Section 8 Waiting List. Submission of an application does not guarantee that the applicant will be selected for the Section 8 Waiting List.
BASIC INFORMATION
- What is the Section 8 (Housing Choice Voucher) Program?
- When is HACLA opening its Section 8 Program Waiting List?
- Who can apply for the Section 8 Waiting List Lottery?
- What are the requirements for an applicant to be admitted into the Section 8 Program?
- If I am already on a Waiting List, can I still apply?
- How can I apply for the Section 8 Waiting List Lottery?
- What if I do not have an e-mail address?
- Why does HACLA only accept lottery applications online?
- What if I do not have a computer?
- Do I have to be a US citizen or legal resident to apply for the Section 8 Waiting List Lottery?
- What if I am homeless and do not have an address?
- Does the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles have any Waiting List preferences?
- If a household applied for the HACLA 2017 Section 8 lottery and was selected to be placed on the waiting list, but is still waiting for their eligibility interview, do they need to apply to this waiting list lottery?
- If a household is on a Section 8 waiting list for another housing authority or for public housing, can they apply for the Section 8 waiting list lottery?
- Can applicants that are currently experiencing homelessness apply for the Section 8 waiting list lottery?
- Can an email address be used for more than one application?
DURING THE APPLICATION PROCESS
- How do I fill out the application?
- Is there a cost to apply for the Section 8 Waiting List lottery?
- Can I use my smartphone to apply?
- Can someone else apply for me?
- How many lottery applications may I submit?
- Does applying for the Section 8 Waiting List lottery mean I will receive a voucher?
- If my kids live with me and they are 18 years or older, do I have to include their annual income as part of the combined household income?
- I was on the application site and started my application, but I lost internet connection before I was able to submit. Was my application submitted?
- What does the “Log Out” link mean?
- What happens after I submit the application?
- What are examples of common income sources that ARE counted as income in the Section 8 program, and should be included as a part of the annual income on the application?
- What are examples of common income sources that are NOT counted as income in the Section 8 program, and should not be included as a part of the annual income on the lottery application?
AFTER THE APPLICATION PROCESS
- How do I know my application was submitted?
- How do I check the status of my application?
- I was randomly selected to be place on the Section 8 waiting list. What if my contact information changes after I apply; how do I update it?
- If I do not get selected for the HACLA Section 8 Waiting List or need immediate housing assistance, are there any potential housing resources that may be available?
- What is the average waiting time for an applicant to be scheduled for an eligibility interview?
- What if I did not apply before the lottery closes?