Phoenix increases Section 8 incentive for landlords to $2,000 per unit

PHOENIX – The city of Phoenix is quadrupling the amount of money it’s been giving to landlords who agree to accept Section 8 housing vouchers.

The City Council voted 9-0 on last month to bump its Landlord Incentive Program payments from $500 to $2,000.

Phoenix landlords can collect the incentive for each unit they sign into a Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment contract.

Section 8 is a federal program that provides rental assistance to very low-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities. Qualifying tenants receive vouchers to cover a portion of their rent.

Phoenix launched its Landlord Incentive Program in 2020, using $500,000 in CARES Act funding to provide $500 incentives.

After that money was exhausted in October 2021, the City Council kept the program going with $1 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding.

The city said that just under $150,000 of that amount has been disbursed, securing about 300 rental units for Section 8 use from 165 landlords, 32 of whom hadn’t accepted the vouchers before.

The decision to raise the incentive was made to get more landlords involved and spend the remaining $850,000 at a faster clip.

“Increasing the incentive amount means paying out more funds per unit and expending funds more quickly,” Phoenix Housing Director Titus Mathew said in a press release on Feb. 17.

“It will also make landlords who are uncertain of joining the program more receptive to renting to voucher holders due to the greater appeal of receiving a larger lump sum.”

With the payments boosted to $2,000, the Housing Department estimates that the remaining Landlord Incentive Program funds will last about six months.

Phoenix landlords can learn more about Section 8 on the city’s website.

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