Section 8 HCV Payment Standards

Voucher Payment Standard

Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher

On November 16, 2016, HUD published the Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMR) Final Rule. Instead of setting Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) payment amounts for an entire metro area, the rule sets these amounts by ZIP code within metro areas. HUD requires certain areas, including San Diego County, to follow this rule. HACSD started using SAFMRs for payment standards on October 1, 2018.

Families with Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers receive rental assistance monthly that is paid directly to their landlord. The rental assistance the family is eligible for depends on their family size, income, and the number of bedrooms they need.

The Voucher Payment Standard is the highest amount of assistance allowed; but it isn’t the most a landlord can charge for rent. The actual monthly assistance each family gets can be different. Rent amounts must still be checked to make sure they are rent reasonable.

In the areas served by the HACSD, see the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) for each zip code.
In the areas served by the HACSD, see the Fair Market Rent (FMR) for our special programs.
In the areas served by the HACSD, the Allowances for Tenant-Furnished Utilities and Other Services chart is the Voucher Payment Standard for utilities.
For more information, please see Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, a 47-page PDF.

SAFMRs only apply to Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher programs. Other rental assistance programs will keep using the area-wide Fair Market Rent as their payment standard.