How to Apply

Please visit the Applicant Overview webpage on our website.

If you are an applicant, you may login to our SNRHA RentCafe Portal or call (702) 477-3100, option 2 to check your application status. Please have your client ID or social security number ready.

A client ID is a number assigned to every SNRHA applicant, participant and resident. This number is requested by SNRHA staff anytime an applicant, participant or resident speaks with a SNRHA staff member. It can also be used to check on an applicant's place on the waiting list. This number will also be on all correspondence from our agency after you are placed on the waiting list. The same number will stay with you after you receive housing assistance.

Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) recipients are expected to pay 30% to 40% of their adjusted total household income for rent. All income changes must be reported through RentCafe within 10 days of any change.

Current program rules allow you to continue to receive housing assistance as long as you are income-eligible and as long as you fulfill the tenant obligations established by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the program. You will lose your assistance when your income rises to the point that your portion of the rent matches or exceeds the full amount of the rent for six months or if you are terminated from the program for violating the rules, including being evicted for cause.

Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) rental assistance is a government subsidy that allows eligible families to rent in the private market and pay approximately 30% to 40% of their income toward rent. The SNRHA pays the remainder of the rent directly to the landlord.

Yes, however, please check the SNRHA Applicant Overview page regarding eligibility. For more information about these programs, please call the SNRHA’s Admissions Department at (702) 477-3100.

Yes, if both wait lists were open.

Yes, if both wait lists were open.

The amount of time it takes to receive a housing choice voucher depends on funding availability based on either new funding or turnover of vouchers. Once funding is available, the next applicants on the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) wait list are pulled by date/time of application and by highest preference points. Prior to a voucher being issued, the client and all family members must be certified as eligible. Please note, if you owe a Housing Authority a debt, you cannot be housed. Due to high demands for rental assistance under this program, it’s hard to predict how long the wait will be once you are on the waitlist.

Yes. The SNRHA checks an applicant's past rental history, when he/she applies for our public housing, voucher program and/or affordable housing program. We also conduct a criminal records check to help determine if an applicant is eligible for housing, this may include fingerprints. If an applicant is determined not eligible for housing, or a participant is terminated or resident is evicted, he/she has the right to file an appeal with the SNRHA’s hearing office. For more information on filing an appeal, you may contact SNRHA’s Hearing Officer at (702) 477-3100.

Once a voucher is issued, a participant has 90 days to find a suitable unit before the voucher expires. The elderly or disabled have 120 days. However, under certain situations, SNRHA will provide an extension of another 30 days. The request for the extension must be received PRIOR to the voucher expiration date. No extension can be provided after the voucher expires and you will NOT have a right to a hearing.

Yes. A housing choice voucher may be used in any area in the United States that has a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. Click here for our Portability Brochure.

Housing Choice Voucher assistance recipients are required to follow certain occupancy standards that limit the number of residents according to the number of bedrooms. The following is a basic guide (exceptions follow):

Family size/ Eligible for:
1 person/ 1 BR or studio
2 people/ 1 BR
3 people/ 2 BR
4 people/ 2 BR
5 people/ 3 BR
6 people/ 3 BR
7 people/ 4 BR

Basically, the occupancy standards are two people per bedroom. A living room will not be counted as a bedroom, except in studios. The head of household and spouse or partner shall be entitled to one bedroom. Household member of different gender (other than the head/co-head or spouse) shall be provided a separate bedroom. Voucher sizes are not increased when adding adult members into the household whether the adult is a family member or not. Adult is defined as 18-years of age or older.

Eligible applicants are responsible for paying up to 40% of their monthly rent based on their income. Our voucher families pay approximately 30% of their adjusted monthly income for rent and SNRHA pays the other portion directly to the landlord. SNRHA voucher clients are responsible for adhering to lease requirements including maintaining their homes and also keep in good standing with voucher program requirements.

Step 1.
The applicant applies for a housing voucher. SNRHA selects applicants by lottery. Eligible applicants are issued a housing voucher.

Step 2.
The voucher recipient has 120 days to find a rental unit before their voucher expires. It is the voucher recipient’s responsibility to find a unit. SNRHA encourages the use of real estate databases such as AffordableHousing.com and others.

Step 3.
Once a prospective landlord is identified, the tenant and landlord complete the Request for Tenancy Approval form (RFTA) and submit the RFTA to SNRHA through the RentCafe portal along with other owner information. We recommend owners to submit all requested information SNRHA requires about the selected unit to enable SNRHA to complete its evaluation expeditiously.

Step 4.
Upon submission of the RFTA packet, the unit is scheduled for a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection. This is an important step in the process to ensure your property meets the federal Housing Quality Standards. The Housing Quality Standards were developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a baseline standard for the nation. These standards are basic conditions ensuring that the dwelling, in which federal resources are expended, is free of hazardous conditions that may be harmful to the occupants.

Step 5.
After the unit passes the housing inspection, a calculation is made to determine the tenant share of rent and the amount of housing assistance payment, and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract is signed. This is the greenlight to complete the lease and the landlord can now allow the tenant to move into their new home.

The SNRHA pays your rental assistance to the landlord on the first of each month. You must also pay your share of the rent each month. Failure to do so can lead to termination of your rental assistance.

Whenever your income changes or you have a change in family composition (persons moving in or out of your household, including a new spouse) you are required to report the change through RentCafe within 10 days. The SNRHA will determine if and when a change in rent is required. You are not allowed to move anyone into your unit without prior written approval except a child that is yours by birth, adoption or foster care. This includes a spouse or adult children. Please remember to notify your caseworker immediately of a request to add a family member and your landlord/owner, as both must approve the addition.

Every household that receives housing assistance must undergo an annual recertification. You will receive notice regarding this approximately 30-45 days prior to your scheduled recertification date. We will initialize an annual recertification in RentCafe for you to complete. You must complete and submit your recertification before your due date.  Failure to complete your recertification may lead to termination of your rental assistance.

You should notify your landlord immediately if your unit is in need of a repair. If violations are found at the time of an initial or annual inspection conducted by the SNRHA, a letter will be sent to your landlord with a copy to you. The violations must be corrected within 30 days for non-emergencies and 24 hours for emergencies. Our office will conduct a re-inspection to verify that the items have been corrected. If you contact your landlord/owner and they do not respond within a reasonable timeframe, please contact your SNRHA caseworker. Please ensure that you have called the manager/owner prior to contacting our office for any repairs. Utilities must be kept on in the unit at all times.

1. You must be in good standing with your landlord.

2. Complete and Submit the Intent to Vacate form.

1. Your landlord must submit to the participant a 30 day notice which states the date they need the participant to vacate.

2. The participant needs to submit that letter to SNRHA.

VETERANS can apply to any housing program at ANY TIME. If you are a VETERAN and a waitlist is NOT OPEN, please apply in person at our Administrative Offices at 340 N 11th Street, Las Vegas Nevada 89101. Our business hours are open to the public from Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Otherwise anyone can apply for housing when a waitlist is open. Go to Applicant Overview and apply for one of our programs.