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Mon -Thur | 9am-5pm
Housing Choice Voucher Hours of Operation has Changed.
Housing Choice Voucher Program
Housing Support Specialists are available:
• Monday – Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Thursday: By appointment only
Please contact your case worker to schedule an appointment.
Other departments, both at the Central Office and at our sites, will continue to operate during normal business hours.
Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP)
The Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) (formerly known as the Section 8 Program) is the federal government’s major housing program funded federally and administered locally to assist very low-income families, the elderly and persons with disabilities with affordable, decent, safe, and sanitary housing. Voucher holders may choose any housing type that suits the needs of their family, as long as the requirements of the program are met.
Through the HCVP, there are two forms of voucher assistance.
Project-Based Vouchers
Project-Based Voucher (PBV) holders reside in PBV units where they pay 30% of their income towards their rent and utilities. Any rent portion not paid by the PBV household is paid for by the program. Project-Based Voucher holders are assisted as long as they live in their PBV units and continue to qualify for the HCV Program. In order to move from PBV housing and into the private rental market with continued assistance of a housing voucher, PBV residents must apply for a tenant mobility voucher (a form of Tenant-Based Voucher).
Tenant-Based Vouchers
With Tenant-Based Vouchers (TBVs), very low-income families may select and rent affordable housing in the private market.
- Very low-income families are those with incomes below 50% of area median income (AMI).
- Tenants residing in tenant-based voucher units pay 30-40% of their income towards rent and utilities.
The Housing Authority pays housing assistance directly to landlords on behalf of tenant-based voucher holders.
Eligibility
Eligibility for a housing voucher is determined by the Housing Authority based on family size, total annual gross income, and citizenship or eligible immigration status. Generally, income must not exceed 50% of the area’s median income, with 75% of vouchers reserved for families earning 30% or less of the median. Median income levels vary by location and are published by HUD.
To qualify in the Asheville/Buncombe and Haywood County areas, your income must be below 50% of the median for your family size. Use the charts below to check the limits.
Utility Allowance
2026 UTILITY ALLOWANCE
2025 UTILITY ALLOWANCE
2024 UTILITY ALLOWANCE
2023 UTILITY ALLOWANCE
2022 UTILITY ALLOWANCE
2021 UTILITY ALLOWANCE
2020 UTILITY ALLOWANCE
2019 UTILITY ALLOWANCE
Payment Standards
2026 SUCCESS RATE VOUCHER PAYMENT STANDARDS
2025 SUCCESS RATE VOUCHER PAYMENT STANDARDS
2024 SUCCESS RATE VOUCHER PAYMENT STANDARDS
2023 SUCCESS RATE VOUCHER PAYMENT STANDARDS
2022 SUCCESS RATE VOUCHER PAYMENT STANDARDS
2021 SUCCESS RATE VOUCHER PAYMENT STANDARDS
2020 SUCCESS RATE VOUCHER PAYMENT STANDARDS
2019 SUCCESS RATE VOUCHER PAYMENT STANDARDS
Utility Allowance
Payment Standards
Landlord News: Important updates for all HCV Landlords and Property Owners
In accordance with updated regulations from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Asheville Housing Authority (AHA) will officially adopt the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) inspection protocol effective October 1, 2025. Please see additional details in the following documents.
Reasons to Rent with HCVP
Rental property owners can enjoy the benefits of renting through the Housing Choice Voucher Program and help meet the critical need for affordable housing in Buncombe County. Here are a few key reasons why you may want to consider leveraging this subsidized housing program:
On-time and convenient payments
Receive your Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) – which may be all of the rent, or a significant portion depending on family income – from the Asheville Housing Authority on time every month by direct deposit into your bank account.
Protection from tenant’s financial hardships
Any time a tenant renting through the program experiences an income change, their rent portion is adjusted. For a tenant experiencing a loss of income, this means his/her rent portion is reduced and Asheville Housing’s HAP is increased. This helps to minimize evictions for the tenant and unit turnaround expenses for the owner.
Free access to a pool of potential tenants and low-cost marketing
Asheville Housing’s voucher program provides housing assistance to thousands of tenants in Buncombe County. When searching for available rental properties, these tenants are referred to AffordableHousing.com. As a rental property owner, you can create a free AffordableHousing.com account, list your available rental properties, and review tenant profiles. If you prefer, for a small fee, you can create a premium listing to gain more attention to your rental property when tenants are searching.
Short Vacancies
New and existing tenants renting through Asheville Housing’s voucher program are always in need of affordable housing in Buncombe County and owners who will rent to them through the Housing Choice Voucher Program, so filling a vacancy is a pretty quick process.
Landlord Mitigation Fund
Asheville Housing has a damage mitigation fund to help owners in the rare case of a tenant causing excessive damage to an apartment.
Can’t find the information you’re looking for? Contact us and let us know.
Contact
Phone
(828)258-1222
Email
frontdesk@haca.org
Administrative Office
165 South French Broad Ave. Asheville NC 28801
Hours of Operation
Opening Hours Monday - Thursday 9am to 5pm
Housing Choice Voucher Program Hours
Monday-Wednesday 9am – 4pm
Thursdays HCVP by appointment only.
Please contact your case worker for an appointment.
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Contact
- Administrative Office
165 South French Broad Ave.
Asheville NC 28801
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