The Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) administers Section 8 housing-choice vouchers for most unincorporated areas and many cities. Landlords are required to accept voucher applicants under California source-of-income protection law, with OCHA setting payment standards.
OCHA is a HUD-funded public housing agency operating under the OC Community Resources department, administering thousands of housing-choice vouchers (HCV) across the county. Cities including Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana run their own housing authorities. Voucher payment standards are set as a percentage of HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rent. Landlords sign HAP contracts agreeing to inspection, rent reasonableness, and prompt notification of changes. Tenants must annually recertify income. SB 329 prohibits landlord refusal based on voucher use. OCHA also runs project-based vouchers, VASH for veterans, and Family Self-Sufficiency programs.
Refusing voucher tenants, charging side payments above contract rent, failing inspections, or evicting solely because a tenant obtained a voucher can trigger HAP termination and Civil Rights Department complaints.
See how other cities in Orange County handle section 8 voucher acceptance.
See how Fullerton's section 8 voucher acceptance rules stack up against other locations.
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