Section 8 Mainstream Housing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities program

Mainstream Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities program vouchers (Mainstream vouchers) are set-aside exclusively for people with disabilities.  These vouchers are funded through the Section 811 tenant-based rental assistance program and receive a five-year annual contributions contracts.  Other Special Purpose vouchers are funded through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher appropriation and receive one-year annual contributions contracts. 

This funding distinction is important because these 811-funded vouchers should not be affected by the current fiscal crisis in the Section 8 program.  This is an extremely important fact which must be pointed out to all PHAs administering these five-year Mainstream vouchers.  This means that PHAs must immediately re-issue all five-year Mainstream vouchers that may “turnover” to people with disabilities even if the PHA is not re-issuing Section 8 funded “turnover” disability vouchers because of concerns about their Section 8 funding.

List of PHAs Administering Five-Year Mainstream Vouchers
There are approximately 12,000 vouchers in the five-year Mainstream program that are administered by 168 PHAs.  Initially funded in 1997 for PHAs, non-profit disability organizations as well as PHAs have been eligible to apply for these Mainstream vouchers since 1999. Currently there are approximately 40 non-profit organizations that administer five-year Mainstream vouchers.

To obtain a complete listing of all PHAs with five-year Mainstream vouchers, please click here (PDF).

Requirements for Five-Year Mainstream Vouchers
The specific requirements for the five-year Mainstream vouchers include the following:

    • All PHAs are required to issue five-year Mainstream Vouchers only to the target population of both elderly and non-elderly people with disabilities;

    • All five-year Mainstream Vouchers that turnover must be re-issued only to the target population.  There are no exceptions to this requirement;

    • Issuance and continued use of five-year Mainstream vouchers will now be tracked with a separate code by HUD’s Public Housing Information Center (PIC).  PHAs were informed of these tracking requirements in HUD Notice PIH 2004-13 published in August, 2004; 

    • Five-year Mainstream vouchers may not be used for project-based assistance;

    • Five-year Mainstream vouchers may be used to support tenant-based assistance under the homeownership option; and

    • Failure to serve disabled families as required will result in forfeiture of the vouchers.

According to Notice PIH 2005-5, PHAs are also required to assist applicants in gaining access to supportive services when requested by an individual; identify funding sources to cover the cost of any needed unit modifications; and provide technical assistance to owners for making reasonable accommodations or making units accessible to persons with disabilities.

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