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Chelmsford Housing Authority

Voucher Holders

Once an applicant has been determined eligible, and the Chelmsford Housing Authority has available funding, a briefing will be scheduled. At this briefing applicants will learn all about how the Section 8 program works, the rules and regulations that must be adhered to and the process of leasing up on this program.

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher will also be issued at this briefing. The voucher will state the number of bedrooms the applicant has been approved for and each applicant will be given individual guidance as to what amount of rent would be affordable for them.

Affordable Apartments

An apartment is considered affordable based on a calculation that has three main components:
  1. Income: The voucher holder must pay minimum 30% and no more than 40% of gross income towards the rent.
  2. Payment Standard: Set by the Housing Authority and based on annual Fair Market Rent figures published annually by HUD for each area. The payment standard presumes that utilities are included in the rent and not paid separately by the tenant.

Payment Standards

The payment standard is only one of the factors used to determine affordability of a unit, and should be used only as a guide.
The payment standard presumes utilities will be included in rent and paid for by the landlord.
Carlisle, Littleton,
Townsend		 Lowell Boston Lawrence Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut,
Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell,
Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Westford
SRO - $1,267 $1,824 $1,109 -
Studio $2,433 $1,690 $2,433 $1,480 $1,690
1 Bedroom $2,614 $1,879 $2,614 $1,647 $1,879
2 Bedroom $3,109 $2,466 $3,109 $2,159 $2,466
3 Bedroom $3,759 $2,971 $3,759 $2,601 $2,971
4 Bedroom $4,141 $3,269 $4,141 $2,863 $3,269
5 Bedroom $4,761 $3,758 $4,761 $3,292 $3,758

Gross Rent

The following table is included to give landlords and voucher holders an idea of the utility payment a tenant might be expected to pay. This should be helpful to both landlord and tenant to determine if the requested rent for an apartment is going to be affordable. A utility allowance for an apartment is determined based on a utility schedule, updated annually.

Please note: Because the affordability calculation is so complex and individual, the voucher holder should contact the Housing Authority to determine affordability for a specific unit. The payment standard alone is not an indication of affordability. Very low income earners will require a rent less than the payment standard to qualify.

Utility Chart for Chelmsford Housing
Current Average Utility Allowances for Local Chelmsford Areas
(effective January 1st, 2025)
Full Utilities(Electric Heating) Electricity Only
Studio $212 $100
1 Bedroom $275 $127
2 Bedroom $372 $171
3 Bedroom $461 $211
4 Bedroom $564 $260
5 Bedroom $629 $282

Leasing a Unit

Once a unit is deemed to be affordable, and the CHA has all the paperwork needed from both the landlord and tenant, the unit will be inspected. Once the unit passes inspection, the lease-up process is finalized and the housing authority approves the tenant to move in. If the unit fails inspection, the housing authority cannot complete the lease-up or start payments.

If a tenant decides to move into prior to the unit passing inspection, and / or without Chelmsford Housing Authority approval, the tenant is responsible for the full amount of the rent until approval is given.

After the unit passes inspection and is approved by the housing authority, a HAP contract is executed with the landlord and payments begin.

Security Deposit, First & Last Month

The tenant is responsible for the security deposit and for any pre-payment of the first and last month’s rent.

Lease

It is a requirement of the program that a lease be signed between the owner and the tenant and a copy must be submitted to the housing authority for approval. When the lease is received the Chelmsford Housing Authority will attach a copy of the Tenancy Addendum to the lease and give a copy to the tenant. The tenancy addendum includes the tenancy requirements for the program and the family composition and it considered part of the lease. If there is a dispute with the landlord, the tenant is allowed to enforce this addendum.

Annual Reexaminations

Every year, a reexamination will be conducted. The tenant will be sent a packet of forms to complete, and must provide all banking and income information for the household. The rent will be recalculated based on this new information. At this time, the landlord may also submit a request for a rent increase.

Changes in Income or Family

Any changes in the family or household composition, or any changes in income, must be reported to the housing authority within 10 business days. Prior approval by the housing authority must be given to add someone, other than a new baby, to your family composition.

Enterprise Income Verification (EIV)

The Chelmsford Housing Authority now uses EIV. The Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system is a web-based computer system that contains employment and income information of individuals who participate in HUD rental assistance programs. HUD obtains this information about program participants from the local Housing Authority, the Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS provides HUD with wage and employment information as reported by employers, and unemployment compensation information as reported by the State Workforce Agency. For more information on EIV please click on one of the following links.

Moving to a New Unit

The tenant has a right to move to a new unit, provided that the lease term has been completed and an appropriate notice has been given to both the landlord and the housing authority. The lease-up process for a move to a new unit is the same as previously detailed and the tenant will have to provide current income and banking information and complete a tenant packet.

Program participants wishing to move should be aware that the process takes a minimum of 2 weeks.

Program participants with a project-based voucher cannot move to another unit as the voucher is with the unit and not the tenant. If a tenant-based voucher is available, the housing authority may be able to approve such a move.

Moving to another Area – “Porting”

A program participant with a ‘portable’ tenant-based voucher is allowed to move with the voucher anywhere in the United States and Puerto Rico that is in the jurisdiction of a housing authority that administers the Section 8 voucher program. The Chelmsford Housing Authority does have discretion to deny permission to move if there is insufficient funding or other grounds for denial.

Program participants with a project-based voucher do not have the same right to move to another area as the voucher is with the unit and not the tenant. If a portable voucher is available, the housing authority may be able to approve such a move.

Landlords

Section 8, or the Housing Choice Voucher program, is a program providing rental assistance to low income individuals and families. Federally funded, the program is administered nationally by HUD. Program participants normally pay minimum 30% (and not more than 40%) of monthly adjusted income towards rent and utilities – the housing authority subsidizes the balance of the rent to the landlord.

A property owner does not have to be formally approved in order to become a Section 8 landlord. The Section 8 voucher holder will find a suitable apartment and will give the landlord a packet of forms to be completed by the landlord. This packet includes the “Request for Tenancy Approval” which will provide the housing authority with required information regarding the unit to be leased. Based on this information the housing authority determines if the requested rent is reasonable for the area and affordable for the tenant.

Lease up process

  1. Screening the tenant
    The landlord is responsible for the screening and selection of the tenants. The housing authority does not screen for tenant behavior or suitability. A voucher holder has been determined by the housing authority to be eligible for the Section 8 program based on income and citizenship status. A criminal background check (CORI) and a sex-offender check (SORI) is also run on each adult member of the family.
    Please note: in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts a prospective tenant cannot be discriminated against because they are receiving public assistance or a housing subsidy.
  2. Landlord Information to Housing Authority
    After agreeing to lease an apartment to a voucher holder, the landlord must complete all documents in the landlord packet and provide a proof of ownership (a copy of a deed, tax bill or water bill), Lead Certificate or Lead Compliance Certificate (if tenant family includes a child under the age of six) and a copy of the lease. This lease will be reviewed by the housing authority before signing.
    Landlord Packet
  3. Reasonable Rent
    Once the landlord information is received the housing authority will determine if the rent requested by the landlord is reasonable for the area and affordable for the tenant. Reasonable rent is defined as not exceeding rents charged for comparable unassisted units in the same area.
    An affordability check will also be performed to assess whether the tenant will be able to afford the rent requested. At time of initial lease up a tenant is required to pay a minimum of 30% of gross monthly adjusted income and no more than 40%. A major component of the affordability check is the payment standard. HUD publishes FMRs for each area annually and the payment standards are derived from those and set by the housing authority. Please note that the payment standard assumes all utilities are paid by landlord so therefore if tenant is paying any unit utilities the affordable rent may well be below the payment standard. Any gross rent above the payment standard is assigned to the tenant portion.
    Current CHA Payment Standards & Utility Schedule
  4. Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspection
    The next step in the eligibility process is the unit must be inspected and found to be in a decent, safe and sanitary condition. An HQS inspection will be conducted once paperwork has been reviewed and unit affordability determined. The unit must pass this inspection before the tenant can move in.
    Housing Quality Standards
  5. Lease and Tenancy Addendum
    It is a requirement of the Section 8 program that the tenant and landlord execute a lease agreement. This is a contract between the tenant and landlord and the Housing Authority is not a party to this agreement. Generally, the initial period of the lease is 12 months after which time it is assumed that the lease becomes a tenancy at will unless a new lease is executed between landlord and tenant for another 12 months.
    The HUD Tenancy addendum must be attached to the lease. It includes the tenancy requirements for the program, and is considered part of the lease. In the even of a dispute the Tenancy Addendum shall prevail.
    HUD Leased & Tenancy Addendum
  6. HAP Contract
    Once the unit has passed inspection the Housing Authority will execute a HAP Contract with the landlord. The HAP contract details the program requirements and responsibilities of the landlord and housing authority under the Section 8 program. The tenancy addendum is also included as part of the HAP contract. No assistance payments will be made to any landlord without a signed HAP contract in place.
    Sample HAP Contract
  7. HAP Contract
    The landlord may collect a security deposit from the tenant, but this deposit may not exceed the amount of one month’s rent. The Chelmsford Housing Authority is not a party to the security deposit.
  8. Housing Assistance Payments (HAP)
    HAP payments will begin from the first day of the lease, or the day after the unit passes inspection – whichever comes last, and only after the contract has been signed. HAP payments are mailed out to landlords on the 1st day of the month or as close to as possible. The final HAP payment will be paid for the last month that the tenant is residing in the unit.
    The Chelmsford Housing Authority offers direct deposits for monthly rent payments to owners.
    CHA Direct Deposit Authorization Form

Apartment listing

If you wish to list your apartment, please visit the Affordable Housing website.

Eligibility

HUD VASH INFO – Veterans in search of Housing

Section 8

The majority of Chelmsford Housing Authority’s Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers are portable tenant-based vouchers. These are vouchers may be used anywhere in the United States and Puerto Rico. Applicants must also be of eligible citizenship status – either U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or have eligible citizenship status. The Chelmsford Housing Authority uses the Massachusetts Section 8 Centralized Waiting List. This waiting list is used by over 90 housing authorities in Massachusetts, and is administered by the Massachusetts chapter of NAHRO. Applicants for Section 8 must be at, or below, a certain income level. The income limits are 50% of AMI(adjusted monthly gross income) for the area and are set by HUD and reviewed annually. Current income limits, effective April 2024 for our local areas are:

Family Size Income Limit: Chelmsford, Lowell Income Limit: Littleton, Carlisle
1 $48,150 $57,100
2 $55,000 $65,300
3 $61,900 $73,450
4 $68,750 $81,600
5 $74,250 $88,150
6 $79,750 $94,700
7 $85,250 $101,200

Section 8 – Project-based

The Chelmsford Housing Authority also has a number project-based vouchers. These vouchers are allocated to a project unit, not to the tenant. When the tenant vacates one of these units, he or she does not take assistance with them – the voucher stays with the unit.

MRVP

This program is fully leased and the waiting list for a MRVP voucher is currently closed. When it does re-open it will be posted on this website and also advertised in the local papers. Applicants for MRVP must be at, or below, a certain income level. The income limits for this program are 80% of AMI (adjusted monthly gross income) for the area and are reviewed annually. Current income limits, effective June 2024, for the Chelmsford area are:

Family Size Income Limit
1 $68,500
2 $78,250
3 $88,050
4 $97,800
5 $105,650
6 $113,450
7 $121,300