Maui officials advise public about online Section 8 housing voucher scam

The above photos are screenshots of Section 8 Housing scam circulating on Facebook and impacting Maui County residents.

The County of Maui Department of Housing and Human Concerns is advising the public of a scam that says it can assist with Section 8 housing vouchers.

County officials encourage people to flag and report the scam to social media platforms that are hosting the information.

The scam is being posted by “Section 8 Housing” on social media platforms. It claims that Section 8 will “open the waitlist by accepting applications from May 22 to June 15” and that families can use vouchers to purchase a home and receive monthly assistance in meeting homeownership costs. It also claims applications will be reviewed in two weeks, and there will not be year-long waitlists.

“This prank is especially cruel, so we appreciate people getting the word out that these Section 8 claims are not valid,” County Department of Housing and Human Concerns Director Lori Tsuhako said.

The County department received Maui resident calls in recent days from people seeking to apply, however, the claims are not valid, and there are no plans to open Section 8 application processes in the immediate future.

As with all scams, be wary of any unverified program or individual seeking personal details. By submitting personal information, such as Social Security number, address and/or date of birth, data could be used to commit fraud.

Section 8 is a US Department of Housing and Urban Development housing choice voucher program that helps secure housing for low-income families, elderly and people with disabilities. Often, the federal program is administered by individual counties.

For more information on HUD and Section 8, visit www.hud.gov.