Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)

The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Waitlist is currently OPEN!

To apply for the HCV program, previously known as Section 8, please stop by our Foreman Office located at 215 North Madden Street, Foreman, AR 71836, or our Ashdown Office located at 251 Federal Street, Ashdown, AR 71822.

To check on the status of your HCV application, please call 870.542.6464 or contact us

The following includes a list of online forms for the HCV program that can be completed and submitted online:

The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, previously known as the Section 8 program, is a government service provided free of charge. As vouchers become available, Little River Housing Communities (LRHC) pulls names from the waiting list and screens them for program eligibility. Families who meet the income guidelines and pass a criminal background check are issued a voucher. The voucher allows them to have a portion of their rent paid by LRHC and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

LRHC conducts criminal background checks on all families and individuals 18 years of age or older. Members of an applicant household must pass a criminal background check and meet income guidelines before they are issued vouchers. Property owners should implement and carry out their own screening process for all prospective tenants regardless of whether or not they are Voucher holders.

Please read the below information carefully.

How does the HCV program work?

Under the Section 8 program, the LRHC makes monthly payments directly to the landlord on behalf of the family. The family pays the landlord their portion of the contract rent.
Once the family has identified an acceptable unit, the family and landlord complete the Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) form. Once the document is received in our office, the Section 8 Manager will contact the landlord to schedule an inspection of the unit. The lease may begin once the inspection is completed with a "passed" status.
If the unit is approved as decent, safe, and sanitary, and the rent amount is within the Payment Standard guidelines, a lease agreement will be executed between the Landlord and the family. Upon receiving the executed lease agreement, the Section 8 Manager will send a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract to the landlord. The HAP contract will be executed between the landlord and LRHC.
The Voucher is good for 60 days, unless an approved extension is granted.
Once you find a suitable unit you would like to rent and the landlord is willing to rent the unit, the landlord must complete the Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) form. The RFTA must be signed and dated by the Voucher holder and the landlord.
After the RFTA has been completed, signed and dated by both parties, submit it to the office for processing. Remember that you can only turn in one RFTA at a time.
The payment of utilities is an item that is mutually agreed upon between the tenant and the landlord. Tenants who pay their own utilities are credited with a utility allowance. If a landlord chooses to pay for all of the utilities, they are responsible for the entire year.
Once the RFTA is processed, the Section 8 Manager will contact both parties to schedule an Initial Inspection of the unit.
The inspection is to insure that the unit meets Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and that the contract rent is reasonable.
Once the unit passes inspection, the Voucher holder and the landlord will execute a lease of the unit. A copy of the signed lease has to be furnished to the Section 8 Manager. LRHC is not a party to the lease agreement.
After execution of the lease agreement, LRHC will enter into a Housing Assistance Payment Contract (HAP) with the landlord.
Once the HAP Contract is complete, the LRHC will process the contract for payment. No payments will be made until the HAP Contract is signed, dated and returned to the Section 8 Manager.
You are responsible for paying the entire deposit requested by the owner. LRHC does not assist with Security Deposit payments.
The family will pay their portion of the rent directly to the owner/landlord. LRHC will determine the family's portion of the rent. Likewise, LRHC sends their portion directly to the landlord.

The family must abide by the following rules:

Supply all information and documentation as requested by LRHC;
Allow LRHC to inspect the dwelling unit at reasonable times and after reasonable notice;
Notify LRHC and the landlord before vacating a unit;
Use the unit for residence of the family, i.e., those family members authorized by LRHC to occupy the rental unit;
Pay the tenant's portion of rent on a timely basis;
Report any changes in family income or family size immediately;
Comply with all terms and conditions of the lease;
The family must not participate in drug or criminal activity.

To check on the status of your HCV application, please call 870.542.6464.