VOUCHERS

Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) 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.

KCDC must provide 75% of its vouchers to applicants whose income does not exceed 30% of the area median income. Median income levels are published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

During the application process, KCDC will collect information on family income, assets and family composition. KCDC will verify this information with other local housing agencies, your employer and bank, and will use the information to determine program eligibility and the amount of the housing assistance payment.

If KCDC determines that your family is eligible, KCDC will put your name on the waiting list. Once your name reaches the top of the waiting list, you will be contacted to complete a full application and provide all required documentation.

Special Purpose Vouchers are a type of Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, administered by KCDC. When used with Continuums of Care (CoCs) and other partners, these programs offer unique opportunities to target rental assistance resources to specific populations to advance a community’s plan to end homelessness, support a community’s equity outcomes, and offer ways to engage with people with lived experience of homelessness and involvement with various systems.

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

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 (VA) 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.

HUD-VASH PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS (HUD-VASH PBV)

In 2024, KCDC unveiled Liberty Place, a 32-unit community designed to support veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. Located at 3627 Division St., Liberty Place offers Project-Based Vouchers that are directly tied to the property. Applicants must meet specific criteria to qualify.

The Family Unification Program (FUP) is a Housing Choice Voucher program offered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help young adults and families in need. If interested, please inquire with the Department of Children’s Services office at 865-329-8879.

The Foster Youth to Independence program (FYI) is a Housing Choice Voucher program offered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help young adults transition out of foster care. Unlike the Family Unification Program (FUP), FYI is only for youth who have been or are in foster care. If interested, please inquire with the Department of Children’s Services office at 865-329-8879.

Mainstream Vouchers assist non-elderly persons with disabilities and are administered using the same rules as other Housing Choice Vouchers. Funding and financial reporting for Mainstream Vouchers is separate from the regular tenant-based voucher program. Eligible persons that apply for the tenant-based voucher will be added to the Mainstream Voucher waiting list if there are vouchers available.

Project-Based Vouchers are attached to a specific unit whose landlord contracts with the state or local housing authority to rent the unit to families and individuals with low income.

KCDC has awarded 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. Applications are accepted 7:30 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday.

In 2024, KCDC unveiled Liberty Place, a 32-unit community designed to support veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. Located at 3627 Division St., Liberty Place offers Project-Based Vouchers that are directly tied to the property. Applicants must meet specific criteria to qualify.