![\"Julio](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_0530.JPG\" "\\"Julio")
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Julio Ponce, executive director or Hialeah Housing Authority<\/p>\n
Mark G\u00f3mez <\/p>\n
Courtesy<\/p>\n
As housing costs continue to strain household budgets across Miami-Dade, the Hialeah Housing Authority is opening applications for its Housing Choice Voucher Program, commonly known as Section 8.<\/p>\n
Eligible Miami-Dade County residents can apply online<\/a> from 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 22, through 4:59 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, for a chance to be placed on the waiting list for rental assistance.<\/p>\n The federal program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered locally by the Hialeah Housing Authority, helps low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities afford housing in the private rental market by subsidizing a portion of their monthly rent.<\/p>\n The application period comes as finding affordable housing in South Florida has become increasingly difficult. According to a recent RentCafe analysis, $1,500 in monthly rent in Hialeah now typically pays for only about 576 square feet,<\/a> roughly the size of a studio or small one-bedroom apartment.<\/p>\n After this year\u2019s application period closes, the Hialeah Housing Authority will use a third-party vendor to conduct a computerized lottery, randomly selecting 2,500 applicants to be placed on the waiting list.<\/p>\n Although voucher recipients may eventually use their assistance anywhere the housing authority\u2019s vouchers are accepted, during the first year they must lease a unit within a 10-mile radius of Hialeah, according to the housing authority.<\/p>\n Demand for the vouchers continues to far exceed the number available. During the Hialeah Housing Authority\u2019s last lottery in April 2024, more than 51,000 people applied<\/a> for just 1,000 waiting list spots.<\/p>\n Even then, being selected does not guarantee immediate rental assistance. Julio Ponce, executive director of the Hialeah Housing Authority, said more than 400 families selected during the previous lottery are still waiting to get the vouchers.<\/p>\n Ponce said applicants selected in this year\u2019s lottery could begin receiving vouchers early next year, depending on availability. The Hialeah Housing Authority manages about 6,000 housing vouchers, but new ones become available only as current participants leave the program or are no longer eligible. On average, 300 vouchers are reissued to new families each year.<\/p>\n Who qualifies?<\/p>\n Applicants must:<\/p>\n Be at least 18 years old.Live in Miami-Dade County.Be U.S. citizens.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s application process marks a significant change. For the first time, the Hialeah Housing Authority will not accept applications from lawful permanent residents, commonly known as green-card holders.<\/p>\n The change follows federal guidance issued after President Donald Trump returned to the White House, according to Ponce.<\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is \u201denforcing that you have to be a citizen,\u201d Ponce told the Miami Herald.<\/p>\n Applicants will be asked to provide information about their citizenship status, Social Security number, veteran status and disability status.<\/p>\n Only one application per household is allowed. Households that submit more than one application will be disqualified.<\/p>\n Eligibility varies based on family size; for a single person, income must be $47,700. A family of four would need to earn no more than $68,100 to receive a voucher, while for a family of eight, income cannot exceed $89,900.<\/p>\n Who gets priority?<\/p>\n Among those selected for the waiting list, preference will be given to:<\/p>\n Elderly households.Homeless individuals and families.People with disabilities.Hialeah residents.<\/p>\n Applications must be submitted online at www.hialeahhousing.org,<\/a> or call 305-888-9744.<\/p>\n