Housing Choice Voucher Portability Checklist

If you are an existing tenant moving with your Housing Choice (Section 8) Voucher, you can find details further down this page. If you are staff from public housing authorities looking for information on SCCHA’s portability processes, such as whether SCCHA is billing or absorbing, questions about billing statements, etc., please call (408) 275-8770 or email incomingports@scchousingauthority.org.

Moving to Santa Clara County with your voucher?

Before you leave your old city, ask your current housing authority if you are eligible to move and transfer your rental assistance to a new housing authority. Be sure to discuss the desired effective date of the change (when the new housing authority can begin to provide your rental assistance).

If the answer is “yes,” this is what happens:

If you’d like to move to Santa Clara County using your Housing Choice Voucher, request that your current Housing Authority prepares what we refer to as your Portability Packet. Have your current Housing Authority contact us at (408) 275-8770 to initiate the process, or they may email your Portability Packet to incomingports@scchousingauthority.org

The Santa Clara County Housing Authority will contact you to continue the porting process. Then, you’ll submit the required paperwork and receive your new voucher.

Please note that until your current Housing Authority has sent SCCHA the required paperwork, you will not receive rental assistance in Santa Clara County.

Questions?
Ask your current Housing Authority about “Portability Move In.”

Want to move out of Santa Clara County with your voucher?

If the answer is “yes,” this is what happens:

First, contact your Housing Specialist to ask if you are eligible for portability and where you wish to move.

If you are eligible, issue a notice to move to your landlord and send us a copy.

We will issue you a voucher allowing you to move and send your paperwork to the Housing Authority of the area to which you want to move. You must then contact that Housing Authority to set up an appointment to transfer there.

Remember:

1) You must establish contact and receive a new voucher from your new Housing Authority in a timely manner. Once the voucher from Santa Clara County Housing Authority expires, you will no longer be considered our client.

2) If you change your mind and decide NOT to leave this area or decide to move to another area, you must notify us immediately.

Questions?
Ask your SCCHA Housing Specialist about “Portability Move Out.”