The Section 8 program is currently closed. There are currently no plans to re-open the waiting list in the near future.  We will update this page if the situation changes.

WHAT IS SECTION 8?
Section 8 is a rent assistance program that enables very low-income persons to live in decent, safe and sanitary, privately owned housing. Tenants select their own rental housing, within the program guidelines.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
The program is open to families and individuals. Preference is given to families and disabled and elderly persons over other singles.

Currently, the grossincome limits for participation are as follows:

WHAT TYPES OF HOUSING MAY TENANTS CHOOSE?
The housing may be an apartment, house or even a mobile home. In all instances, the unit must be clean, in good condition and safe. Also, the rent must not exceed the program limits (which vary based on several factors), and must be appropriately priced for the size, condition and location of the unit. Furthermore, the owner of the property must agree to participate in the program and to adhere to the Section 8 regulations.

HOW MUCH DOES THE TENANT PAY?
Eligible tenants pay 30% to 40% of their adjusted monthly income toward the rent and utilities. As an example, a family who earns $600 per month might pay about $180.

HOW IS THE REMAINDER OF THE RENT PAID?
The City (using money appropriated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) pays a portion of the rent directly to the landlord on behalf of the tenant. For example, if the total monthly rent is $800 and the tenants portion is $280, the City would pay the owner $520.

HOW DO TENANTS SIGN UP?
Unfortunately, we are not accepting new applications at this time.  Applicants can only “sign up” when the waiting list is open.  The waiting list is currently closed.

WHY IS THE WAITING LIST CLOSED?
Our waiting list for the Section 8 program is currently closed due to the extremely lengthy list of applicants already on the wait list.  Because we have very limited funding, we expect it will take a long time before we can assist applicants already on the waiting list.  Therefore, we have no plans to reopen the wait list in the near future.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS......
You are welcome to phone or visit our office for assistance. We are located at:
1922 Artesia Blvd. 
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
(310) 318-0635

Additionally, for recorded information about the status of our waiting list, please
call (310) 318-0640. Thank you for your interest in our program.

Section 8 Application Procedures

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
OUR WAITING LIST FOR THE SECTION 8 HOUSING PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY CLOSED.  WE HAVE NO PLANS TO REOPEN THE WAIT LIST IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 

Section 8 Owner Benefits

The Section 8 Program provides many benefits to landlords, including: guaranteed monthly rent, free advertising of rental units, protection against lost rent due to a tenant's sudden loss of income and the chance to help deserving households live in decent, safe and affordable housing. Following are specific advantages for landlords.

ADVANTAGES OF THE SECTION 8 PROGRAM
FOR LANDLORDS

GUARANTEED RENT:
The Housing Authority guarantees that we will pay our portion of rent on time. In most cases, the Housing Authority portion of rent is greater than the Tenant portion.

PROTECTION AGAINST LOST RENT WHEN THE TENANT LOSES A JOB OR OTHER INCOME SOURCE:
In the open market, when a "regular" tenant loses his job or other income source, the tenant is often unable to pay the rent. This situation often leads to owner eviction, which translates to time and expense for the Landlord. (On average, landlords lose at least 3 months of rent plus $2,000 in attorneys fees. The eviction process is also time-consuming and unpleasant.)

On the other hand, if a Section 8 tenant were to lose his or her job or experience another type of income loss, the Housing Authority would lower the tenants portion of rent and raise our Agencys contribution, up to 100 percent of the entire rent when necessary. This assures the Landlord that the Section 8 Tenant will always be able to afford the rent.

REIMBURSEMENT FOR RENT IN THE EVENT OF EVICTION:
In the open market, when a landlord evicts a "regular" tenant, the landlord does not normally receive any money from the tenant, either during or after the eviction process.

However, if a landlord were to evict a Section 8 tenant, the Housing Authority would continue to pay our portion of the rent until the tenant had vacated the unit. Or, in cases where landlords refuse to accept our rent for fear of interfering with the eviction outcome, the Housing Authority will retroactively pay for any unpaid Housing amounts once the tenant has moved out.

ASSURANCE THAT THE UNIT IS ADEQUATELY MAINTAINED BY THE TENANT
In the open market, landlords may only enter a tenants unit in case of emergency, to make necessary or agreed upon repairs, or to show the unit to a prospective buyer or renter. In many cases, landlords do not see the inside of their tenants homes for years and therefore have no assurance that the units are still in good, safe condition. In the case of tenants who do not report dangerous situations to their landlords, disastrous occurrences sometimes result.

Our staff conducts annual inspections of our Section 8 tenants units, during which time we check to see that each tenant is maintaining his home in decent, safe and sanitary condition. Staff notifies the landlord whenever we discover items that are in poor repair, thus providing property owners with important information that may prevent future problems.

NO REQUIREMENT OR PRESSURE TO RENT TO "OTHER" SECTION 8 TENANTS
Some landlords have told us that they worry if they take one Section 8 tenant, they will have to rent to others. This is absolutely untrue. Landlords are free to rent to only one Section 8 tenant, to no Section 8 tenants or to many Section 8 tenants.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DOES NOT INTRUDE ON YOUR NORMAL LANDLORD/TENANT RELATIONSHIP
While we do ask landlords to sign a one-year contract and lease (so that we may reserve federal funds), we do not get involved in the landlords relationship with his tenant (unless the landlord asks for our assistance). In that regard, landlords do not need to ask our permission to carry out any landlord business, including the eviction of a tenant. The Housing Authoritys role is to qualify eligible tenants for Program participation and to subsidize their rents in appropriate housing, not to interfere in the landlords activities.

OTHER FACTS
Redondo Beach has administered the Section 8 Program for over 25 years. We currently enjoy dealing with over 250 landlords in the City, many of whom have two or more tenants currently on our Section 8 Program. Our staff is committed to providing the best service possible to our landlords. If you have any questions, or if you would like to talk to our staff, we invite your phone calls. Please feel free to talk to anyone of us. We are at (310) 318-0635.