Westchester County administers Housing Choice Vouchers through its Section 8 office, and NY law forbids landlords from refusing to participate in the voucher program, charging unauthorized fees, or denying applicants based on voucher status.
The Westchester County Department of Planning Section 8 office issues Housing Choice Vouchers, with about 5,000 active vouchers across the county. Under NY Executive Law Section 296(5), refusal to accept vouchers is unlawful source-of-income discrimination. Landlords participating in Section 8 must pass an initial Housing Quality Standards inspection and annual reinspections. The voucher pays a portion of rent directly to the landlord; the tenant pays the difference up to 30 to 40 percent of household income. Westchester landlords cannot charge application fees beyond the federal $20 cap.
Refusing vouchers, charging unauthorized fees, or failing HQS inspections triggers loss of voucher payments and human-rights penalties up to $50,000.
See how New Rochelle's section 8 voucher acceptance rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.