The Section 8 Rental Assistance Division administers the federally-funded Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) program, and partners with the Division of Mental Retardation Services to conduct inspections for the State of Tennessee Rental Assistance Program (STRAP). The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) merged two programs in October 2001 to create the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, the Section 8 Certificate and Section 8 Regular Voucher programs. The merger occurred as part of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998.

A new pilot program was launched in October 2001 as part of the HCV program, the Section 8 to Homeownership program. The Section 8 to Homeownership program allows some HCV participants to use their voucher to purchase, rather than rent, a home. To successfully deliver this program, we have developed a series of partnerships with non-profits to help prepare residents for the responsibilities of homeownership.

THDA's Section 8 Rental Assistance division was rated a high performer by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for fiscal year 2001 as part of the federally-required Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP). The Housing Choice Voucher program increased program size by more than 600 families during the past year. At the end of the last quarter (December 31, 2001), 5,656 families were assisted by THDA's Housing Choice Voucher program.