Housing Choice Vouchers: Myths & Misconceptions

The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program will not afford a landlord the ability to charge participants the same rent amount that is being charged to their non-HCV tenants.

FALSE – While certain extraordinarily high rents may in-fact be out-of-reach, the HCV Program can in most cases approve competitive rents for its participants.

HCV participants are overall “undesirable”.

FALSE – There are no documented statistics which would leave one to believe that a higher percentage of participants on the HCV Program are known to abuse their rental units and/or are frequently delinquent in paying their portion of the rent as compared to non-HCV tenants.

It is almost impossible to evict a HCV tenant when they violate the lease.

FALSE – HCV tenants are bound by the terms of their rental agreements and are subject to eviction as is any non-HCV tenant. CHA does not condone abusive and/or non-compliant behavior by our participants, nor do we support participants who choose to do so.

Landlords that participate in the HCV Program are required to use a lease agreement provided by CHA that contains less-stringent provisions.

FALSE – Landlords are required to use the same lease agreement that is being used for their non-HCV tenants.

Once you lease to one HCV tenant, you are required to lease to every other HCV tenant that approaches you for housing from that point on.

FALSE – While this was once the case, this requirement has since been repealed.

Participation by a landlord in the HCV Program requires him or her to process an insurmountable amount of paperwork on an on-going basis.

FALSE – With the exception of the lease agreement, all pertinent paperwork is processed by the HCV Staff.

HCV landlords are not allowed to collect full security deposits.

FALSE – There is no restriction as to the amount of security deposit a landlord may collect, as long as the amount does not conflict with any provision of the South Carolina Landlord and Tenant Act and is consistent with the amount being charged to non-HCV tenants.

The HCV Program requires housing quality standards beyond what one would consider being average.

FALSE – HUD has provided a listing of minimum housing quality standards that a dwelling unit must meet in order to qualify. These standards address only the basic needs of decent, safe, and sanitary housing.