i have a question about section 8 or subsidized housing.

i emailed an income based apartment 6 days ago. that apartment is in new york. i live in tennessee. there are absolutely 0 subsidized apartments available in tennessee and there will not be for more than a year.

they finally emailed me back today. they said that they accept ssi (check) minimum acceptable credit score is 200 (check) and either disabled (check) or seniors. but they also said that they quote: "participate in the section 8 program". i do not have a section 8 voucher...and i barely understand what that means...and they didn't say i needed one but i was thinking,

can i still move there if it's in state that is different from where i live now?

if the only place i am allowed to get housing assistance is tennessee i am out of hope.

i feel like every time i read something about this type of thing with finanaces and taxes and this and that like i am reading another language.
and my caseworker is terrible. he comes by where i live twice a week and asks me the same questions he asked last time. then when i asked him if he made progress he asks me what it is again....like he asked me for my email on 3 different occassions and cannot even keep up with that. i am trying to get them to give me another, but there is no time for that since i need to move now

You have to apply for Section 8 housing in whatever state you live in, it goes by your current address. So, you could move to New York and apply or apply for the list in Tennessee: https://thda.org/renters/waiting-list and get a voucher and then "port" it to New York: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nycha/sect...rtability.page but technically you either have to live somewhere and apply from that address (which in your case now would be Tennessee) or go somewhere, find a place to live, and then apply from that address in your new location. Each state runs their own Section 8 program for the Federal Government (they get varying amounts of money from the Government depending on how many people they have that need housing in their state).

If you have a place to live now; I'd apply to Tennessee and get in the program, get a voucher, and then see about porting it to New York if you think you might have a better chance of a place there. However, New York is more expensive to live in than Tennessee so you might want to consider that, too.

If you haven't already done so, try calling 211 and telling them that you need help figuring out how section 8 housing works and how to get a section 8. 211 should tell you who to call. I live in Massachusetts, but here we call each city's housing authority and ask to be added to a section 8 waiting list. If there is an open waiting list, they will send out an application or refer to an online application.

When it comes to taxes, I use the US government and the state's instructions and forms. If I have a question, I call the IRS directly to ask or the state's tax number. This has worked well for years for me. Sometimes volunteers are available to help with taxes too, calling 211, may reveal if such a service exists or not where you are. However, my understanding is that even if someone else prepares your taxes, you (rather than the preparer) are responsible for it's accuracy.