Phony Waiting Lists Take Fees; The Real Ones Never Do

If you know someone who needs public housing assistance, make sure he or she knows about the Section 8 housing scams that prey on home-seekers. The scams use websites that look like registration sites for Section 8 waiting list lotteries. They take people's "registration fee" money, their personal information, and their chance to register for the real lottery—since these hopefuls usually don't know they've been scammed until the real waiting list is closed.

There is never a fee to register for a real Section 8 waiting list. To sign up for one, contact your local public housing authority.

And for more information on finding an affordable home, visit our new USA.gov "beta" site—a work in progress!