Residents > Section 8 Participant Handbook > The Section 8 Partnership

The Section 8 Partnership

The Section 8 program is a joint effort between you, your landlord, and Home Forward — we each have a set of responsibilities.

Participant Responsibilities

  • Provide information requested by the Home Forward or HUD to administer the program, including completion of scheduled income reviews.
  • Pay utilities that are not provided by the landlord.
  • Provide and maintain any appliances that you are responsible for.
  • Correct damages to property caused by family member or guest, in specified time period.
  • Do not commit serious or repeated violation(s) of the lease.
  • Notify Home Forward and the owner 30 (no more than 60) days in advance, prior to moving or terminating the lease.

Landlord Responsibilities

  • Perform all management and rental functions for the assisted unit, including screening and selection of tenants and lease enforcement.
  • Maintain the unit in accordance with Housing Quality Standards (HQS), including performance of maintenance.
  • Comply with equal opportunity/fair housing requirements.
  • Prepare information required under the Housing Assistance Payments contract and furnish the information to Home Forward.
  • Collect from the renter: security deposit, tenant portion of the rent, any charges for damages to the unit.
  • Enforce the tenant obligations under the lease.
  • Pay for utilities and services agreed upon in the lease.
  • May not collect side payments from Section 8 renters or charge more rent than approved by Home Forward.

Home Forward Responsibilities

  • Make rent assistance payments to landlord in timely manner.
  • Regularly evaluate family eligibility.
  • Inspect units at least every two years.
  • Investigate potential fraud or program abuse by participants or landlords.
  • Provide quality customer service to Section 8 landlords and participants.
  • Notify landlord of any change in subsidy amount.