How to Apply for Section 8: Eligibility, Waitlists and Income Limits
The Housing Choice Voucher program, known as Section 8, helps low-income families, older adults, veterans and people with disabilities rent homes in the private market, with the subsidy paid directly to the landlord. You apply through a local public housing agency (PHA), usually join a waiting list, and once selected receive a voucher to search for a unit. State and local laws add their own rules; see the "Section 8 and eviction records" page for your state on this site.
What the law says
- Section 8 (the Housing Choice Voucher program) helps low-income families, the elderly, veterans and people with disabilities rent in the private market; participants choose an eligible unit and the subsidy is paid directly to the landlord. HUD, Housing Choice Vouchers: Information for Tenants
- Eligibility is based on the family's annual income and family size; generally, families must be extremely low-income or very low-income to qualify. HUD, Housing Choice Vouchers: Information for Tenants
- Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen as defined by HUD, and the head of household must have a valid Social Security number. HUD, Housing Choice Vouchers: Information for Tenants
- HUD's guidebook lists four eligibility factors a PHA must consider: meeting HUD's definition of a "family", the income limit, student status, and citizenship or eligible immigration status. HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Eligibility Determination and Denial of Assistance (November 2019)
- You must apply through your local public housing agency; because waiting lists are long you may need to apply to several, and you do not need to live in the jurisdiction where you apply. HUD, Housing Choice Vouchers: Information for Tenants
- A PHA may require a family that did not live in its jurisdiction when it applied to lease a unit within that jurisdiction for the first 12 months of assistance. HUD, Housing Choice Vouchers: Information for Tenants
- If you are found eligible you will typically be placed on a waiting list; your place depends on the number of vouchers available, when you applied, and any preferences you claimed, such as veteran or disability status. Failing to keep your contact details and household size up to date may get you removed from the list. HUD, Housing Choice Vouchers: Information for Tenants
- When you reach the top of the list, the PHA verifies eligibility and income, you attend a briefing, and you receive a voucher with a search time of 60 to 120 days, as determined by the PHA. HUD, Housing Choice Vouchers: Information for Tenants
- The initial term of a voucher must be at least 60 calendar days; the family must submit a request for tenancy approval and the proposed lease, including the HUD tenancy addendum, within that term unless the PHA grants an extension. HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Housing Search and Leasing (June 2025)
- A PHA must deny admission if a household member is subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement, was convicted of making methamphetamine on the premises of federally assisted housing, or was evicted from federally assisted housing within the last three years for drug-related criminal activity (the last allows exceptions such as rehabilitation). HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Eligibility Determination and Denial of Assistance (November 2019)
- PHAs may not deny admission solely based on arrest records; if a PHA plans to deny admission based on a criminal conviction record, it must notify the family and give it a chance to dispute the accuracy or relevance of the record. HUD, HCV Program Guidebook: Eligibility Determination and Denial of Assistance (November 2019)
FAQ
Can I apply for Section 8 in a different city or state?
Yes. HUD says you do not need to be a resident of the jurisdiction where you apply, though a PHA may require a family that lived elsewhere at application to lease within its jurisdiction for the first 12 months.
How long is the Section 8 waiting list?
HUD says it can take a long time. Your place depends on how many vouchers are available, when you applied, and any preferences you claimed, such as veteran or disability status.
What happens when my name reaches the top of the list?
The PHA verifies your eligibility and income, you attend an orientation briefing, and you receive a voucher with a search time of 60 to 120 days set by the PHA.
Can a criminal record keep me out of Section 8?
It can. PHAs must deny admission in a few cases, such as lifetime sex offender registration, and may set other nondiscriminatory criteria. They may not deny based on arrest records alone and must let you dispute a conviction record before denying.
Can college students get Section 8?
Students at institutions of higher education who will not live with their parents must meet additional eligibility criteria, whether they study full-time or part-time.
How do I find my local public housing agency?
HUD points applicants to its Public Housing Agency Directory to find the local PHA that takes applications.
Related
- Do I Need a Lawyer for an Eviction?
- The Fair Housing Act: Your Rights Against Housing Discrimination
- Can a Section 8 Tenant Be Evicted? Rules and Notices
- Section 8 Income Limits Explained (2026)
- Section 8 Inspection: What Inspectors Check (NSPIRE)
- Renting to Section 8 Tenants: Rules for Landlords
- Section 8 Payment Standards and Fair Market Rent Explained
- Moving With a Section 8 Voucher (Portability): How It Works
- Can You Lose Your Section 8 Voucher? Reasons and Hearings
- What Are Squatters' Rights?
- What Is a Security Deposit?
- Landlord-Tenant Law by state
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.