The Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8) was created by Congress in 1974 under the Housing and Community Development Act. It provides rental subsidies to approximately 2.3 million low-income families: recipients pay about 30% of their income toward rent, and the federal government pays the landlord the remaining balance. The program is the largest federal rental assistance program. It is funded through annual congressional appropriations, meaning only about 1 in 4 eligible families receives a voucher due to insufficient funding.