Section 8 housing by state

You apply for Section 8 — officially the Housing Choice Voucher program — at your local housing authority, not with HUD and not through any website. Pick your state below to get that office's phone number and address, plus the HUD-assisted apartment buildings near you. Applying is always free.

• 3,697 housing authorities you can apply to
• 23,547 HUD-assisted properties listed
• 1,461,866 subsidized apartments in those properties
• 6,634 cities and towns covered

How getting Section 8 works

1. Check whether your income qualifies

   The limits depend on your county and household size — there is no single national number. Most people who qualify earn well under their area's median income. Our income limits guide explains the tiers, and HUD publishes the exact figure for every county at huduser.gov.

2. Apply at a housing authority — for free

   Find yours on your state page below or in HUD's official directory. You can apply to more than one, including in other cities or states. No legitimate application ever costs money — anyone charging a fee to "get you Section 8" is running a scam. Full application walkthrough.

3. Wait, then use your voucher — or apply to buildings directly

   Most waiting lists take months to years, and many open only in short windows. While you wait, you can apply directly to project-based and HUD-assisted buildings — the ones we list — which run their own separate waiting lists. Once a voucher comes through, you generally pay about 30% of your adjusted income toward rent. What to do while you wait.

Choose your state

• Alabama 142 housing authorities · 400 properties
• Alaska 2 housing authorities · 75 properties
• Arizona 23 housing authorities · 202 properties
• Arkansas 127 housing authorities · 342 properties
• California 96 housing authorities · 1,795 properties
• Colorado 59 housing authorities · 343 properties
• Connecticut 50 housing authorities · 412 properties
• Delaware 6 housing authorities · 128 properties
• District of Columbia 2 housing authorities · 99 properties
• Florida 97 housing authorities · 689 properties
• Georgia 178 housing authorities · 626 properties
• Hawaii 6 housing authorities · 105 properties
• Idaho 10 housing authorities · 131 properties
• Illinois 106 housing authorities · 944 properties
• Indiana 54 housing authorities · 494 properties
• Iowa 63 housing authorities · 262 properties
• Kansas 102 housing authorities · 274 properties
• Kentucky 117 housing authorities · 488 properties
• Louisiana 153 housing authorities · 344 properties
• Maine 24 housing authorities · 296 properties
• Maryland 30 housing authorities · 512 properties
• Massachusetts 130 housing authorities · 901 properties
• Michigan 126 housing authorities · 712 properties
• Minnesota 135 housing authorities · 701 properties
• Mississippi 52 housing authorities · 347 properties
• Missouri 123 housing authorities · 490 properties
• Montana 12 housing authorities · 117 properties
• Nebraska 105 housing authorities · 212 properties
• Nevada 3 housing authorities · 65 properties
• New Hampshire 20 housing authorities · 240 properties
• New Jersey 99 housing authorities · 695 properties
• New Mexico 26 housing authorities · 136 properties
• New York 158 housing authorities · 1,361 properties
• North Carolina 123 housing authorities · 910 properties
• North Dakota 26 housing authorities · 102 properties
• Ohio 75 housing authorities · 1,393 properties
• Oklahoma 104 housing authorities · 262 properties
• Oregon 23 housing authorities · 329 properties
• Pennsylvania 85 housing authorities · 1,053 properties
• Rhode Island 28 housing authorities · 249 properties
• South Carolina 42 housing authorities · 406 properties
• South Dakota 35 housing authorities · 190 properties
• Tennessee 85 housing authorities · 608 properties
• Texas 379 housing authorities · 1,008 properties
• Utah 19 housing authorities · 106 properties
• Vermont 9 housing authorities · 148 properties
• Virginia 41 housing authorities · 474 properties
• Washington 32 housing authorities · 436 properties
• West Virginia 32 housing authorities · 218 properties
• Wisconsin 115 housing authorities · 652 properties
• Wyoming 8 housing authorities · 65 properties

Largest listings by city

• Chicago, IL 330 properties
• Los Angeles, CA 243 properties
• Brooklyn, NY 177 properties
• New York, NY 175 properties
• Philadelphia, PA 175 properties
• Bronx, NY 166 properties
• Baltimore, MD 146 properties
• Cincinnati, OH 133 properties
• Cleveland, OH 127 properties
• Pittsburgh, PA 122 properties
• San Francisco, CA 112 properties
• Columbus, OH 111 properties
• Saint Louis, MO 110 properties
• Denver, CO 100 properties
• Milwaukee, WI 100 properties
• Washington, DC 99 properties
• Louisville, KY 95 properties
• Houston, TX 90 properties
• Boston, MA 89 properties
• Detroit, MI 88 properties
• Indianapolis, IN 86 properties
• Portland, OR 85 properties
• Austin, TX 84 properties
• San Antonio, TX 84 properties

Quick answers

Does applying for Section 8 cost anything?

No — applying is free, everywhere, always. Housing authorities never charge to join a waiting list, and no website can apply for you or move you up the list for a fee. If someone asks for money, it's a scam; report it to your housing authority or call HUD at 800-955-2232.

How much rent will I pay with a voucher?

Generally about 30% of your household's adjusted monthly income — the voucher covers the rest, up to a limit your housing authority sets for your area. The exact math varies by locality, so your housing authority gives you the real number when your voucher is issued.

Is the waiting list open near me?

It changes constantly — many lists stay closed for years, then open for a week. Call the housing authorities on your state page and ask directly, and apply to several at once if you can. Why lists close, and what helps.

How do I find landlords that take vouchers?

There's no official national list, but your housing authority usually keeps a local one — ask when your voucher is issued. Many authorities also point voucher holders to AffordableHousing.com, where landlords list voucher-friendly rentals themselves. The 60-day search, step by step.

What if I need housing help right now?

Section 8 is rarely fast. For tonight or this week, dial 211 — a free line that connects you to local emergency housing, rent assistance, and shelters. If you're facing eviction, free legal help may be available through legal aid.

Start with a guide

• How to apply for Section 8 Where to apply, what you need, what happens next
• Section 8 waiting lists Why lists close, and what to do while you wait
• Section 8 income limits How HUD decides if you qualify
• Apartments that accept Section 8 Vouchers vs. project-based units, honestly
• You got a voucher — now what? The 60-day search, inspections, and signing

Official tools and help lines

These are the government and nonprofit resources we point people to most. All of them are free.

• HUD: Housing Choice Vouchers for tenants — the official program rules, straight from the source.
• HUD's housing authority directory — every PHA's contact information, searchable by state. HUD's public housing help line is 800-955-2232.
• HUD Resource Locator — an official map of subsidized apartments, public housing, and rural rental housing near any address.
• HUD income limits — the exact qualifying income for your county and household size, updated every year.
• HUD-approved housing counselors — free one-on-one help with applications, evictions, and landlord problems. Call 800-569-4287 to be connected to an agency near you.
• 211 — dial 2-1-1 from any phone for emergency housing, rent, and utility assistance in your area, any hour.
• Find legal aid — free lawyers for eviction and housing disputes if your income qualifies.

Where our listings come from

Every listing on this site is built from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's public datasets — HUD Open Data: Public Housing Authorities and Multifamily Properties (Assisted). Counts are computed from the records themselves, never estimated. We list what HUD publishes and say so when something — like private landlords who take vouchers — isn't published anywhere. We are not HUD and cannot process applications. How we work: our editorial policy.