How to Keep Your Section 8 Voucher When Moving to New Jersey

If you have a Section 8 voucher in New York City and want to move to New Jersey, your housing assistance can come with you. The process is called portability, and it allows you to transfer your voucher to any jurisdiction in the United States that has a Housing Choice Voucher program, which includes every county in New Jersey.

Moving to NJ from NYC is one of the most common portability moves because of the proximity, lower rents in many areas, and family connections. But the process requires coordination between your current housing authority (the "initial PHA") and the New Jersey housing authority that will administer your voucher (the "receiving PHA"), so you need to understand how it works before you start packing.

The Basics of Section 8 Portability

Portability is a federal right under the Housing Choice Voucher program. You can use your voucher to live anywhere in the United States, its commonwealths, and territories where there's a housing authority running a voucher program.

There's one key requirement: if you're a new voucher holder, you typically need to complete your initial lease term (usually 12 months) in the jurisdiction where you received your voucher before you can port out. Some exceptions exist, particularly for VAWA (domestic violence) situations, reasonable accommodations, and certain other circumstances. Your housing authority may also allow earlier moves in some cases.

Once you've completed that initial period and are in good standing with the program (no outstanding violations or debts), you're eligible to request a portability transfer.

How the Process Works from NYC

If you have a NYCHA voucher and want to move to New Jersey, here's the step-by-step process:

1. Decide where in NJ you want to move

Before you request a port-out, you need to know which New Jersey housing authority will be receiving your voucher. New Jersey has multiple housing authorities, including county-level agencies administered by the NJ Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and local municipal housing authorities like Newark Housing Authority.

You'll need to provide NYCHA with the name, address, and contact person for the receiving PHA.

2. Submit your portability request to NYCHA

The easiest way is through the NYCHA Self-Service Portal. Log in, click the "Portability" tab, and complete the online Request for Portability. You can also call the NYCHA Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 to obtain the Voucher Holder Request for Portability form (Form 059.723).

Make sure you complete the entire form, including all information about the receiving housing authority.

3. Wait for NYCHA approval

NYCHA will review your request to confirm you're eligible (good standing, completed initial lease term, etc.). Once approved, you'll receive a portability voucher valid for 180 days.

4. NYCHA sends your paperwork to the receiving PHA

NYCHA will forward your port-out request and documentation to the New Jersey housing authority you specified. This includes your voucher information, family composition, income verification, and other required documents.

5. The receiving PHA contacts you

The New Jersey housing authority will reach out to schedule an intake appointment. They'll brief you on their specific program rules, issue their own voucher, and authorize you to begin searching for housing in their jurisdiction.

6. Find housing and complete the lease-up

Once you have your NJ voucher, you search for a unit, submit a Request for Tenancy Approval, the unit passes inspection, and you sign a lease. The receiving PHA handles all of this according to their procedures.

Important Differences to Expect in New Jersey

When you port to a new jurisdiction, you're subject to that housing authority's rules, which may differ significantly from NYCHA's. Here's what commonly changes:

Voucher size: NYCHA may have issued you a three-bedroom voucher based on their occupancy standards, but the receiving PHA might only approve a two-bedroom based on their standards. Your bedroom size is not guaranteed to stay the same.

Payment standards: Every housing authority sets its own payment standards (the maximum amount they'll pay toward rent). New Jersey payment standards are often lower than NYC because rents are lower, but this varies by county. If the payment standard is lower and you choose a unit near the maximum, your out-of-pocket portion could increase.

Utility allowances: Each PHA calculates utility allowances differently. This affects how much of the rent the voucher covers versus what you pay.

Program rules: Things like inspection procedures, annual recertification timelines, and administrative policies may differ.

Before you commit to the move, contact the receiving New Jersey housing authority to ask about their payment standards, income limits, and any waitlist or processing delays. This helps you make an informed decision.

Billing vs. Absorbing: What Happens to Your Voucher?

When you port to a new jurisdiction, the receiving PHA has two options:

Billing: The receiving PHA administers your voucher locally but bills NYCHA for your monthly assistance and administrative fees. You remain technically a NYCHA participant even though you're living in NJ and dealing with the NJ housing authority day-to-day.

Absorbing: The receiving PHA takes over your voucher entirely, using their own funding. You become fully a participant in their program, and NYCHA is no longer involved. Whether a PHA absorbs incoming vouchers often depends on their funding situation and waitlist length.

For example, the Housing Authority of Bergen County currently absorbs incoming HCV portable vouchers but bills for Emergency Housing Vouchers. Each housing authority has different policies, and these can change based on funding.

From your perspective as a tenant, billing vs. absorbing doesn't dramatically change your day-to-day experience. You'll deal with the receiving PHA for inspections, recertifications, and questions regardless. The main impact is administrative.

Key New Jersey Housing Authorities

Here are some of the housing authorities that NYC voucher holders commonly port to:

Newark Housing Authority 500 Broad Street Newark, NJ 07102 Phone: (973) 273-6000 Website: newarkha.org

Housing Authority of Bergen County 1 Bergen County Plaza, 2nd Floor Hackensack, NJ 07601 Phone: Contact via website Website: habcnj.org Email for portability: portability@habcnj.org

NJ Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Administers vouchers in many NJ counties Phone: (609) 292-4080 Portability email: ports@dca.nj.gov Website: nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/portability.html

For other New Jersey housing authorities, use the HUD PHA Contact Directory to find the right agency for your target area.

Timeline and What to Expect

The portability process typically takes 6-10 weeks from when you submit your request to when you can start searching for housing in NJ. However, this can vary based on:

• How quickly NYCHA processes your port-out request
• The receiving PHA's workload and processing times
• Whether any issues arise with your documentation

Your NYCHA portability voucher is valid for 180 days. The receiving PHA may extend it an additional 30 days, but you should plan your move so you have enough time to find a unit and complete the lease-up before your voucher expires.

If you can't find housing in time and your voucher expires, you may lose your assistance. Don't wait until the last minute to start your housing search.

Critical Rules: Do Not Vacate Until Approved

This is the most important rule of portability: do not move out of your current NYC apartment until NYCHA has approved your port-out request and given you written authorization to move.

If you vacate your unit before approval, you could lose your Section 8 assistance entirely. The process requires formal approval from your initial PHA before you leave.

Once you are approved and ready to vacate:

Notify your current landlord and NYCHA of your move-out date

Return your keys to your landlord

Get written confirmation that you returned your keys (this protects you from claims of abandonment or damage)

If You Have an HPD or HCR Voucher

NYC has three agencies that administer Section 8: NYCHA, HPD (Department of Housing Preservation and Development), and HCR (New York State Homes and Community Renewal). The portability process is similar regardless of which agency issued your voucher, but you need to contact the correct one.

HPD voucher holders: Contact HPD Section 8 at 917-286-4300. Review the HPD Port-Out FAQ for specific instructions.

HCR voucher holders: Contact the HCR Subsidy Services Bureau. Processes may differ from NYCHA.

VASH Vouchers (Veterans)

If you have a Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) voucher, the process is different. You must first contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) before requesting a port-out from NYCHA. If the VA approves your move, they'll provide NYCHA with a Port Request Form and recommendation letter.

The VA will help coordinate your move according to VASH program rules, which include ongoing case management services in your new location.

Resources

• NYCHA Portability page
• NYCHA How Portability Works
• NYCHA Self-Service Portal
• NJ DCA Portability page
• HUD Portability information
• HUD PHA Contact Directory
• NYCHA Customer Contact Center: 718-707-7771
• NYCHA Portability Unit email: S8Portability@nycha.nyc.gov

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