Housing Choice Voucher Program
Program Overview
The tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, also known as Section 8, provides rental assistance to help families live in privately owned housing throughout the community.
Program Staff
Interested in porting your voucher to Biddeford Housing?
Prior to porting your voucher, it is important to review our payment standards. Please have your current housing authority send your port packet via email, fax, or mail to:
Biddeford Housing
Attn: Michelle Vire
P.O. Box 2287
Biddeford, ME 04005
Phone: 207-282-6537 ext. 2
Fax: 207-286-0580
Fax: 207-286-0580
Email: mvire@bhousing.org
Please note that we are currently billing for all incoming portability. Once we receive your port packet we will contact you.
Participants
This page is for current voucher participants residing in Biddeford Housing’s jurisdiction. If you have questions about certain procedures, please review our frequently asked questions below. If you are unable to find the answer you are looking for, please contact our office.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I report changes to my household income?
All income changes must be reported in writing using a change of income form within ten (10) days of the date of the change. The change is not considered reported until the housing authority receives the form and all supporting documentation. We will not make any changes until all of the information is received and verified. You are required to continue paying your current tenant portion of rent until the change has been made by Biddeford Housing.
All income changes must be reported in writing using a change of income form within ten (10) days of the date of the change. The change is not considered reported until the housing authority receives the form and all supporting documentation. We will not make any changes until all of the information is received and verified. You are required to continue paying your current tenant portion of rent until the change has been made by Biddeford Housing.
How do I report changes to my household composition?
All household composition changes must be reported in writing using a change of composition form, along with providing required documents as listed on the form. If you are wishing to add someone to your household (other than a birth, adoption, or court-awarded custody), they need to be approved by your landlord and Biddeford Housing prior to them moving in.
All household composition changes must be reported in writing using a change of composition form, along with providing required documents as listed on the form. If you are wishing to add someone to your household (other than a birth, adoption, or court-awarded custody), they need to be approved by your landlord and Biddeford Housing prior to them moving in.
What should I do if I have items in my unit that need repair?
If you have items in your unit that are in need of repair, contact your landlord immediately. If your landlord does not respond in a reasonable amount of time (48 to 72 hours), then contact our office to request a complaint inspection. You will be asked questions regarding the nature of the repairs that need to be made. If it is determined that those items would cause a unit to fail an NSPIRE inspection, we will schedule a complaint inspection of your unit. If the unit fails the inspection, the landlord would have 30 days to make the necessary repairs unless they are considered life-threatening emergencies. In those cases, the landlord would only have 24 hours to make the repairs.
If you have items in your unit that are in need of repair, contact your landlord immediately. If your landlord does not respond in a reasonable amount of time (48 to 72 hours), then contact our office to request a complaint inspection. You will be asked questions regarding the nature of the repairs that need to be made. If it is determined that those items would cause a unit to fail an NSPIRE inspection, we will schedule a complaint inspection of your unit. If the unit fails the inspection, the landlord would have 30 days to make the necessary repairs unless they are considered life-threatening emergencies. In those cases, the landlord would only have 24 hours to make the repairs.
Can I use my voucher for a unit outside of Biddeford Housing’s jurisdiction?
If you are looking to move outside of our jurisdiction and are eligible to move, you can exercise your right to move under portability. Porting your voucher means that another housing authority would administer your voucher. It is important to contact the housing authority you are interested in porting your voucher to ahead of time, to determine what their payment standards are for your size voucher. This will help your search for a new unit. Once you have made a decision on the housing authority you want to port your voucher to, you will need to fill out the portability request form. Please keep in mind that you will also need to refer to your current lease to determine the proper amount of time you are required to give your landlord for a notice to vacate. You must provide us with a copy of the notice as well. Once we have a copy of your notice and the portability request form, we will begin the process of porting your voucher.
If you are looking to move outside of our jurisdiction and are eligible to move, you can exercise your right to move under portability. Porting your voucher means that another housing authority would administer your voucher. It is important to contact the housing authority you are interested in porting your voucher to ahead of time, to determine what their payment standards are for your size voucher. This will help your search for a new unit. Once you have made a decision on the housing authority you want to port your voucher to, you will need to fill out the portability request form. Please keep in mind that you will also need to refer to your current lease to determine the proper amount of time you are required to give your landlord for a notice to vacate. You must provide us with a copy of the notice as well. Once we have a copy of your notice and the portability request form, we will begin the process of porting your voucher.
Forms and Documents
Landlords
If you’re interested in becoming a landlord with the Housing Choice Voucher Program, select the link below to learn more.
- Payment Standards
- Utility Allowances
- Preparing for an NSPIRE Inspection
- Landlord Fact Sheet
- Landlord Myth-Busting
- Lease-Up Process
CHANGE OF ADDRESS – If you are a current landlord and you need to change the address that we have on file for you, please complete the owner information form and email it to mvire@bhousing.org or mail it to P.O. Box 2287, Biddeford, ME 04005.
CHANGE BANK ACCOUNT – If you are a current landlord and you need to change your bank account information that we have on file, please complete a new direct deposit form. You may email this form to mvire@bhousing.org or mail it to P.O. Box 2287, Biddeford, ME 04005.
OWNER SOLD PROPERTY – If you have recently sold a property and have a Housing Choice Voucher Program Participant living at that property, please complete the landlord sold property form. This form will let us know that we should be on the lookout for information from a new owner and will also let us know how you wish for us to handle your future payments.
NEW OWNER OF A PROPERTY – If you have recently purchased a property from one of our landlords, we are going to need information from you! You will need to complete the change of ownership packet. Please send all of the completed forms to us along with a copy of the warranty deed. Once we receive all of these items, we will process the change of ownership to begin the first of the following month. Please be advised that we do not make any retroactive changes unless the old owner contacted us and asked us to place their payments on hold due to the pending sale. In this case, we will be able to make the change effective retroactively to the first month in which we held the payment.
RENT INCREASES – If you are interested in raising the rent for a unit occupied by a Housing Choice Voucher Program Participant, Biddeford Housing allows one contract rent increase in a 12-month period. We require at least a 60-day notice for increases less than 10%. For increases of 10% or more, the State of Maine requires at least a 75-day notice be given. Biddeford Housing requires a copy of the notice you are giving your tenant, along with a completed amenities list form.