Mercer County Housing Authority Board Wednesday made changes to its Section 8 program, granting vouchers for buildings or projects instead of tenants, and setting a preference for the homeless.

Under the Section 8 program, federal subsidies are given to income-eligible people to live in housing owned by private landlords. The authority has more than 200 vouchers, all of which are issued to people who then look for an apartment to rent. The apartments are inspected by the authority and the landlord signs a contract with the authority for payment.

The project-based vouchers would be good for up to 10 years.

Community Homebuyers Inc., the authority's nonprofit affiliate, asked for project-based vouchers to go with the Mercer senior housing complex that is under construction, said authority Executive Director L. DeWitt Boosel.

The authority must make the vouchers available to others, he said.

The housing preference is for people who live or work in Mercer County and have graduated from homeless transitional programs that have a self-sufficiency component.

Boosel said there have been instances where people have been homeless and taken into a shelter, but do not have housing once their time limit with the shelter expires.

"They could end up back in the same boat without assistance," he said.

The Section 8 program has had no preferences up until now, and applicants have been put on a waiting list.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development must approve the changes.