Moving with a voucher

Portability is the rule that lets a household with a Housing Choice Voucher move to another housing authority’s area. This page is not legal advice. Your authority’s letter and briefing are the instructions that count.

This is not legal advice and not a decision by a housing authority. Applying for a voucher is free.

What you ask for

You ask the housing authority that issued the voucher. Tell them the city or county you want to move to. They tell you what papers they need and whether the voucher can be billed to them or absorbed by the authority in the new place.

The authority in the new place can have different payment standards, a different timeline, and its own screening. A voucher is not a promise that the new authority has a unit waiting.

What this page does not decide

The rules are in 24 CFR 982.353. Some families who did not live in the first authority’s area when they applied have extra limits. The authority, not this website, applies those limits. Ask them in writing and keep a copy.

Letter you can copy

Fill in the brackets. Then send it the way your housing authority accepts mail, email, or a portal message.

[Date]

[Housing authority name]
[Housing authority address]

Re: Request to move with my Housing Choice Voucher

My name is [your name]. If you have a client number or tenant number for me, it is [number].

I want to move to [city and state] and use my Housing Choice Voucher there. Please tell me how to start portability, what papers you need, and the date my voucher has to be used by.

You can reach me at [phone] or [email]. My mailing address is [address]. Please also tell me if I should contact the housing authority in the new place myself.

Thank you,
[Your name]

Where this comes from

24 CFR 982.353, portability.
Your housing authority’s administrative plan and the briefing packet they gave you.