HCV Participants

Participants in the HCV Program participate in a “briefing” when they enter the program, and are provided with a wide range of information.  Some highlights of this briefing include the following:

  • Participants are required to report any change in income within 10 days of the occurrence.
  • With the exception of additions to households that result from birth, marriage or an act of law, participants may not make additions to their household that would create an increase in the voucher (bedroom) size. Vouchers cannot be “passed on to” family members.
  • Except in certain familial relationships, RHA awards 1 bedroom to every 2 persons.
  • Participants are required to follow all terms of their lease including paying for all tenant-furnished utilities. Landlords are required to report lease violations, which could result in a participant losing their voucher.

The RHA Housing Choice Voucher Program office is located at 120 South 6th Street in Reading.  The office is co-located in the Franklin Tower highrise community, but has a separate entrance.  The office offers walk-in hours on most mornings, and is available by appointment only during afternoon hours.  Participants are encouraged to make appointments if they need to speak with or visit their assigned staff member, or Housing Specialist.  Persons who fail to be on-time for an appointment may be required to reschedule.

There are many resources and documents that are used during participation in the Housing Choice Voucher Program.   The following is a list of documents that may be downloaded.  Those that require completion by participants may be printed from this website, completed, and provided to the HCV office.

When searching for a unit, participants may make use of a variety of sources, including local newspapers/publications and websites such as Craigslist.  Reading Housing Authority invites all participating landlords to register their available units on GoSection8, a nationwide repository for available rental units.  This is the resource to which RHA directs participants who are searching for an available rental unit.

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