Under the HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program, some low income families, individuals, elderly and disabled persons may qualify for rental assistance. The Housing Choice Voucher Program is administered locally by the Clearwater , St. Petersburg and Pinellas County Housing Authorities. (The Pinellas County Housing Authority serves all unincorporated areas and, through cooperation agreements, all municipalities except St. Petersburg , Clearwater , and Belleair Beach ). Under this program, qualified applicants are issued a certificate or voucher which they can take with them to a unit of their choice, as long as the unit meets housing quality standards.
The public housing authority pays the difference between what a tenant can afford and the fair market rent for the housing unit. Affordability is generally calculated as 30% of the tenant's adjusted household income. Utility allowances are included in the calculations. Local public housing authorities traditionally have had long waiting lists for their housing programs.
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