Section 8

Housing Choice Voucher programs offer low-income individuals and families the opportunity to search for both a housing type and neighborhood of their choice. Section 8 Vouchers can be used at any qualifying privately owned property, including single-family homes, townhomes and apartments.

The Housing Choice Voucher programs allow a greater level of mobility. The vouchers are attached to the individual, instead of being linked to the property. Therefore, a Section 8 voucher holder can move to a different unit in town or even to a different area, as long as there is a comparable Housing Choice Voucher program.

All Section 8 properties are regularly inspected for compliance with program standards.

Section 8 programs also offer the benefit of services that provide support in seeking additional employment and educational opportunities.

KCDC's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program will accept online applications 8 a.m.-3 p.m. the second Wednesday of every month. Please apply online and applications will be processed by date and time received. For more information, click here.

Waiting list status
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LANDLORD RESOURCES

Click here for landlord forms and resources and to check the status of your housing assistance payments.

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Tenant resources

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Tenant briefing video

Section 8 Rent Calculator

PARTICIPANT LOGIN

Click here to check the status of your application or update your contact information on an existing application.

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WHERE CAN I FIND LOCAL HOUSING THAT QUALIFIES FOR SECTION 8?

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CONTACT SECTION 8

400 Harriet Tubman St.
Knoxville, TN 37915
Phone: 865-403-1234

SECTION 8 ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN DOWNLOADS

Homeownership Program Administrative Plan

Section 8 Program Administrative Plan

Family Self-Sufficiency Action Plan

Our Programs

HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER

Housing Choice Vouchers allow participants to select any qualifying market rent apartment in the private rental market. The residents will pay a percent of their adjusted current income, and the housing voucher will provide the difference to the participating landlord.

Do I qualify?

HUD-VETERANS AFFAIRS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING VOUCHER (HUD-VASH)

Through the HUD-VASH program, KCDC administers subsidized housing vouchers that allow homeless veterans in the agency’s service area to obtain safe, affordable and permanent residence. Additionally, Veterans Affairs social workers provide case management and develop treatment plans to support veterans as they transition out of homelessness.

This program is intended to assist chronically homeless veterans. Applicants must meet specific criteria to qualify:

Be homeless – an individual or family who lacks a fixed regular and adequate nighttime residence. Homeless veterans are those who reside in a place not meant for human habitation or an emergency shelter situation.
Be imminently homeless with appropriate documentation.
Be eligible for VA health care.
Have a need for case management.

To learn if you qualify and apply for the program, call the VA Homeless Team at 865-670-2369.

HUD-VETERANS AFFAIRS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS (HUD VASH PBV)

Liberty Place Applicant must be a Military Veteran, meet VASH requirements, be referred to KCDC by the VA or CHAMP, and must be eligible for a 1-bedroom unit based on family size.

If interested, please inquire with the Veterans Affairs office at 865-670-2369.

Liberty Place: 3627 Division St, Knoxville, TN 37919
- 1 bedroom

HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM

The Homeownership Program allows participants to use Section 8 vouchers to work towards owning their home. The program supplements payments towards a 15- to 20-year mortgage. First-time home buyer participants must have a Section 8 rental voucher; be employed for at least one year at a qualifying income level or receive disability benefits; not be in debt with a housing agency; complete home education training; and have a good credit score and adequate savings.

Do I qualify?

HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM: PARTICIPANT SUCCESS

Participants in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program or HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Voucher (HUD-VASH) program may be eligible for the KCDC Homeownership Program. The program allows participants to use their voucher to supplement mortgage payments.

EXPANDING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES

To deconcentrate poverty and expand housing and economic opportunities, KCDC encourages families to seek housing outside areas of low income and minority concentration.

Low-income and minority-concentrated Census tracts in Knox County are: 8, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21, 29, 32, 67, 68, 69 and 70. All other Census tracts are areas outside low-income and minority concentration.

Click here to learn more about Knox County.

MODERATE REHABILITATION PROGRAM

KCDC’s Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program attaches vouchers to privately owned units that are rehabilitated. KCDC has a Housing Assistance Payments contract with the property owner for specific units. The rental assistance voucher is tied to the unit and not to the tenant.

KCDC has contracts with the following properties:

Southmont Apartments: 1415 Moody Ave., Knoxville, TN37920

Eligible families are placed on KCDC’s Moderate Rehabilitation waiting list. When vacancies occur in a Moderate Rehabilitation property, KCDC refers eligible applicants to the property owner, who selects participants for occupancy.

Do I qualify?

FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY (FSS) PROGRAM

The Family Self-Sufficiency program assists participants in achieving greater economic independence and self-sufficiency through mentorship to assist and incentivize KCDC voucher holders in gaining or improving their employment and earned income. An assigned case manager helps participants develop and reach training, education and employment goals. The participant and the FSS case manager meet regularly to ensure participants are working to meet their goals. For every program participant, when there is an increase in earned income, KCDC establishes an interest-bearing bank account; deposits are made based on increases in earned income of the participant. Upon completion of all program requirements, the amount in the account is paid to the participant.

Do I qualify?

PROPERTIES WITH PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS

KCDC has awarded Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers to developers of the following properties, which increases the availability of affordable housing in Knoxville and Knox County.

To apply for these properties, visit the KCDC Rental Assistance office at 400 Harriet Tubman St., Knoxville, TN 37915.

Family-style properties

First Creek: 1250 Elston Turner Drive, Knoxville, TN 37915
- 1 bedroom
- 2 bedroom
- 3 bedroom
Five Points Infill: 317 McConnell Street, Knoxville, TN 37915
- 2 bedroom
- 4 bedroom
- 5 bedroom
Lakeview at Westland: 9831 Sugar Magnolia Way, Knoxville, TN 37922
- 2 bedroom
- 3 bedroom
Meadowbrook Apartments: 3610 Lyons Way, Knoxville, TN 37917
- 2 bedroom
- 3 bedroom
Moss Grove Flats: 9304 Sapling Grove Way, Knoxville, TN 37922
- 1 bedroom
- 2 bedroom
- 3 bedroom
Southside Flats: 2727 Fort Stanley Way, Knoxville, TN 37920
Sutherland Flats I / Dunhill Flats: 1036 Dunhill Way, Knoxville, TN 37919
- 1 bedroom
- 2 bedroom
- 3 bedroom
Sutherland Flats II: 510 Vista Glen Way, Knoxville, TN 37919
- 1 bedroom
- 2 bedroom
- 3 bedroom
The Flats at Pond Gap: 909 Hollywood Road, Knoxville, TN 37919
- 2 bedroom
- 3 bedroom
Young High Flats: 121 Young High Pike, Knoxville, TN 37920
- 3 bedroom

Elderly properties

Dogwood Springs: 2704 Mineral Springs Road, Knoxville, TN 37917
- 1 bedroom
The Cottages at Clifton: Clifton Road, Knoxville, TN 37921
- 1 bedroom
- 2 bedroom

Disabled properties

Caswell Manor: 1505 East Fifth Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917
- 1 bedroom
Minvilla Manor: 447 N Broadway St., Knoxville, TN 37917
- Efficiency
- 1 bedroom
Flenniken Landing: 115 Flenniken Ave., Knoxville, TN 37920
- Efficiency
- 1 bedroom
The Willows at Third Creek: 1010 Cox St., Knoxville, TN 37917
- 1 bedroom
Maple Grove Apartments: 1125 Baker Ave., Knoxville, TN 37920
- 2 bedroom

Elderly or disabled properties

The Village at Holston Place: 4704 Holston Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914
- 1 bedroom
- 2 bedroom

Parent with child properties

The Restoration House: 2205 Village Place Way, Knoxville, TN 37923

Section 8 Programs FAQs

Can I use my Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher to move outside the Knoxville area?

A priority of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is to broaden housing choices for low-income families. With the implementation of the Section 8 Program in 1976, certificate and voucher holders were encouraged to move to an area outside minority and poverty concentration. Mobility or portability was further expanded with the Section 8 Conforming Rule that was effective Oct. 2, 1995.

Housing Choice Voucher holders can use the voucher to rent available units.

To move outside the city limits of Knoxville, the portability feature applies.

Participants with Housing Choice Vouchers have the HUD statutory right to lease an eligible unit anywhere in the United States with a governing voucher program (portability feature). Also, an applicant receiving a new voucher who lived in KCDC’s jurisdiction when he/she applied for rental assistance, has the statutory right to move under these same conditions.

If participants decide to move, they must inform KCDC of the area to which they wish to relocate. KCDC will determine if the housing agency in the new area administers a voucher program. KCDC will notify the housing agency to determine proper procedures and provide information and guidance to the participant to expedite the process.

Reasons for Relocating

Safety
Move from a high-crime area
Education
Better schools and educational opportunities
Employment
Closer to job opportunities
Medical
Closer to medical facilities
Family Support
Closer to family members living out of town
Transportation
Closer to bus lines or other public services

The portability feature enables participants to select the neighborhood, community, city or state of their preference. KCDC recognizes that moving is part of life, and staff are trained to help with this process. A copy of United States Housing Agencies is available upon request.

Facts to Consider if You Plan to Move

The new housing agency’s payment standard is applicable
The new housing agency’s occupancy standards may change the bedroom size of your voucher
The new housing agency has the right to screen for criminal activity
You should manage the move so you have enough time to arrive and complete the voucher transition with the Housing Agency before your voucher expires, otherwise you may lose your assistance

What are Knox County Fair Market Rents and Income Limits?

The Department of Housing and Urban Development uses fair market rents to determine a voucher payment standard, which determines how much housing assistance payments should be paid monthly through Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers for a particular community and bedroom size.

The monthly housing assistance is the difference between the payment standard and 30 percent of the monthly adjusted family income. In determining the initial housing assistance payment for the family, KCDC will use the payment standard in effect on the date the lease is approved. The family may choose to rent a unit for more or less than the payment standard, but the choice does not change the amount of the assistance payment.

Click HERE for a current list of Fair Market Rents and Income Limits.

How do I check the status of my application?

What should I do if the waiting list is closed?

What should I do when the waiting list is opened?

Notification that the waiting list will be opened will be posted in advance to this website. When the waiting list is opened, fill out your application using our Participant Portal. If you have already created an application, log into the Participant Portal and ensure that your information is up-to-date. The online process is the quickest, most efficient way to submit your application for consideration while avoiding lines at the rental office. While individuals wait in line at the rental office, other applications will arrive through the online application.

How do I check my waiting list status?

How do I view the KCDC Section 8 office Recertification take home packet?