All the Ways Section 8 Vouchers Go to Waste

"It can take years to get a Section 8 voucher in Pittsburgh. But it takes just four months to lose it," according to an article by Kate Giammarise. The threat of losing a voucher refers to the 120-day time limit for finding a qualifying residence once a recipient has received a voucher. The time limit is especially problematic due to a shortage of units and a lack of landlords willing to accept subsidized rent.

Under the Housing Choice Voucher Program, or Section 8, as it's commonly known, "[a] family that receives a voucher must find a rental unit that meets a minimum standard and can pass a quality inspection. A subsidy is then paid by the housing authority administering the program directly to the landlord; the family pays the difference between the actual rent and the subsidy."

The key problem examines in the article is the willingness of landlords to accept vouchers, which often forces program recipients to lose their vouchers. Vouchers expire frequently enough that the Neighborhood Legal Services Association employs families who have lost vouchers.

More evidence of the vouchers' failure to live up to the promises of the program: the amount of money spent by the city compared to the amount of money the city receives for the program. "In 2013, the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh received $41.9 million in voucher funding from the federal government but spent only $29.8 million of that on voucher payments," reports Giammarise. In 2014, "$13 million of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s $43.2 million voucher allocation didn’t go to vouchers." The article details how that remaining money was used, and also cites a number of experts who describe possible steps for improving the program in the city of Pittsburgh.