HCV Portability

The ability of a family to move from the jurisdiction of the SHA to another Housing Authority is called PORTABILITY.    Portability allows you to move anywhere in the United States with your Housing Choice Voucher

You must be eligible to move: 

1. You must give a written 30 day notice to your current landlord and provide a copy to your Program Manager

2. The Program Manager will then contact your landlord to make sure: A) You are not breaking a lease and B) you do not owe any money in rent.

3. The Program Manager  will then give a 30 day notice to the landlord to terminate the HAP Contract.

You will need to find the Housing Authority you will be transferring your voucher to: 

Your Program Manager at SHA will need the contact information of the Housing Authority that your portability packet will be sent to. Please contact the Housing Authority that will be receiving your voucher and provide the SHA their name, address, phone number, fax number and email address of the contact person at the authority.

Find out if the Receiving Housing Authority is Billing OR Absorbing your voucher:

Ask the receiving housing authority if they are planning to bill the SHA for your Section 8 Voucher; meaning they will be submitting a monthly bill to the SHA for the cost of your voucher.

OR if the receiving housing authority isn't planning to bill for your voucher, they will be absorbing your voucher into their program, and issue you a voucher from their housing authority.

If the housing authority is billing for your voucher, please let the SHA know immediately so your Program Manager can determine if you are moving to an area with high apartment costs. If you are moving to higher cost area the SHA must determine if the budget can support a higher cost for your subsidy. 

See your Program Manager  for more information.

Make an appointment to sign a new voucher with your SHA Program Manager: 

You will need to sign a voucher before your portability packet can be sent to another housing authority. This will also start your 120 day time period that you will need to locate an apartment

SHA IS CURRENTLY ABSORBING PORT-IN VOUCHERS. 

Please have your portability packet sent to:    

Somersworth Housing Authority  

Attn: Keri McIlvaine  

25 Bartlett Ave., Suite A  

Somersworth, NH 03878    

Phone: 603-692-2864 Ext 314  

Fax: 603-692-2877  

Email: kmcilvaine@somersworthhousing.org