Section 8 Mobile Vouchers, MRVP, and AHVP

Section 8 Mobile Vouchers, MRVP, and AHVP

Section 8 mobile vouchers are another form of affordable housing. Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937 authorizes the payment of rental housing assistance to private landlords on behalf of low-income households.

For this program, a qualifying low-income household finds a private market apartment that meets Section 8 criteria.  Then, the tenant pays a portion of the rent — usually 30% of their income — and the government makes a direct payment to the landlord that makes up the difference between the tenant’s portion and the full rent required by the landlord.

Groton residents should apply to the Section 8 waitlist held by RCAP Solutions.  RCAP Solutions manages 3,000 vouchers in central Massachusetts.  This waitlist is most likely to yield a Section 8 Voucher if you remain a Groton resident.

To expand your search, you can apply to the centralized Section 8 waitlist.  With one application, people can get on the waitlist for 102 Public Housing Authorities within Massachusetts – most in the Greater Boston area.  People living in one of the 102 communities are most likely to get Section 8 Vouchers because the demand is so great that it takes the boost that a local preference gives your application to succeed.  The benefit of applying to the centralized list is that if you later move to one of those 102 communities, you will be higher up the waitlist when you move into one of those communities.  Once you have applied, please keep your centralized waitlist account updated with your current address and contact information.  Updates help the housing authorities to prioritize your application when you move into town and to find you when it is time to offer you a Section 8 Voucher.

Massachusetts developed its own version of the federal Section 8 program.  Its program is called the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP). This program funds about 2,000 vouchers statewide.  Not all agencies administer both the Mobile and Project Based programs.  There is no central application process.  Instead, interested applicants can consult this list of housing agencies who administer the mobile MRVP voucher and contact that agency directly.  For general information about the mobile MRVP voucher, please read this description.

Massachusetts also created the Alternative Housing Voucher Program to for people with disabilities between the ages of 22 and 59.  Apply through CHAMP for this program.