How do I apply for Section 8 in Wisconsin?

Apply to the local public housing agency that serves the area where you want to live. Each agency runs its own waiting list; check its official site to see whether the list is open.

Section 8 in Wisconsin: Housing Authorities and How to Apply

Section 8 (the Housing Choice Voucher program) is run by local public housing agencies (PHAs). You apply to the agency that serves where you want to live; many keep waiting lists that open only at times. Here are the agencies serving Wisconsin's largest areas, from HUD's official contact list and each agency's site.

Is it illegal for a Wisconsin landlord to refuse Section 8? Partly. Wisconsin's open housing law bars housing discrimination based on 'lawful source of income,' but a federal appeals court held that federal rent vouchers (Section 8) are not clearly within that term, so voucher refusals are not clearly prohibited statewide. Wis. Stat. 106.50; Knapp v. Eagle Property Management Corp., 54 F.3d 1272 (7th Cir. 1995) (annotation)

Housing authorities in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) — Housing Choice Voucher Program — Madison, Statewide (through local program agents)
Housing Choice Voucher, Project-Based Voucher, VASH (veterans)
Phone: (608) 266-7884
How to apply / waiting list — closed — all tenant-based voucher waiting lists closed effective April 8, 2025, except VASH referrals and some project-based properties (as of 2026-10-24 per PHA site)
Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee — Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
Phone: (414) 286-5678
Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services — Housing Division — Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
Phone: (414) 289-6542
Community Development Authority of the City of Madison (CDA Housing) — Madison, Dane County
Public Housing, Housing vouchers
Phone: 608-266-4675
How to apply / waiting list
Dane County Housing Authority — Monona, Dane County
Housing Choice Voucher, Project-Based Voucher, DCHA-owned housing, Family Self-Sufficiency
Phone: (608) 224-3636
How to apply / waiting list — Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and combined project-based lists closed with no openings planned since the August 2023 lottery; some senior/disabled and veteran project lists open (as of 2026-10-24 per PHA site)
Waukesha Housing Authority — Waukesha, Waukesha County
Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8), Public Housing (Scattered Sites), Saratoga Heights
Phone: (262) 542-2262
How to apply / waiting list — Housing Choice Voucher list closed March 26, 2025; Public Housing Scattered Sites and Saratoga Heights lists open (as of 2026-10-24 per PHA site)
Brown County Housing Authority — Green Bay, Brown County
Housing Choice Voucher, Family Self-Sufficiency, Homeownership
Phone: 920-770-0450
Green Bay Housing Authority — Green Bay, Brown County
Phone: (920) 492-3790

Source: HUD public housing agency contact list. Check the agency's own site before applying; waiting lists open and close.

Statewide housing agency

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) — Administers the Housing Choice Voucher program with local program agents in areas without their own voucher agency, runs the free WIHousingSearch.org rental listing service, and finances affordable rental housing.

Help paying rent in Wisconsin

WHEDA Housing Choice Voucher Program — Federal rent assistance administered statewide by WHEDA through local program agents; tenant-based waiting lists are closed for now.

How to apply

Find the housing authority for the city or county where you want to live (list above).
Check whether its voucher waiting list is open; many open for short windows or use a lottery.
Apply only through the agency's official site or office. Applying is free — no one may charge you to get on a list.
Keep your contact information current with the agency so you do not lose your place.
When a voucher is issued, you find a rental whose rent fits the agency's payment standard and that passes inspection.

Rent levels (HUD Fair Market Rent) and local help by county

Wisconsin tenant rights · Free legal help in Wisconsin · Section 8 in other states

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.