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HUD Housing Programs for People With Disabilities

By KPCB StaffCombined Expertise In The Low Income Housing Space For 10 Years · How we write our guides

Hud housing

HUD helps people with disabilities pay rent through regular Section 8 vouchers and public housing, plus a few programs only for people with disabilities: Mainstream vouchers, Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) vouchers and Section 811 housing. For almost all of them you apply through your local public housing agency (PHA) or at the property itself. Applying is free, and only the agency decides whether you qualify.

Most of these programs have waiting lists. Your disability rights apply in every one of them, so you can ask for reasonable accommodations at any point, including while you wait.

The main HUD programs at a glance

ProgramWho it servesWhere you apply
Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)Low-income families, including people with disabilitiesYour local PHA
Mainstream voucherHouseholds with a member who has a disability and is 18 to 61Your local PHA, if it has Mainstream vouchers
NED voucherHouseholds whose head, co-head or spouse has a disability and is under 62Your local PHA, if it has NED vouchers
Public housingLow-income families, older adults and people with disabilitiesYour local PHA
Section 811Very low- or extremely low-income households with an adult who has a disabilityThe Section 811 property, or a state referral agency

Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)

The Housing Choice Voucher program pays part of your rent on a private-market home that you choose. HUD's page says it serves "low-income families, elderly persons, veterans and disabled individuals." About 2,000 PHAs run the program.

Your income and family size decide whether you qualify. Under federal rules, most new voucher holders must be "very low income," which means at or below 50% of the area median income. At least 75% of the families a PHA admits each year must be "extremely low income."

You usually pay about 30% of your adjusted monthly income toward rent, although HUD says it can be as high as 40%. The PHA pays the rest, up to its payment standard, directly to the landlord.

Families where the head, co-head or spouse has a disability get a few extra deductions when the PHA works out adjusted income:

  • A disabled-family deduction. Federal rules set it at $525, and HUD raises it each year for inflation. Ask your PHA for the current amount.
  • Unreimbursed medical expenses, plus attendant care and auxiliary apparatus costs, to the extent they add up to more than 10% of your annual income.

Our step-by-step guide to applying for Section 8 walks through the full process.

Mainstream vouchers

Mainstream vouchers are Housing Choice Vouchers set aside for households with a disabled member who is not elderly. HUD says that apart from serving that group, they follow "the same rules as other housing choice vouchers." Since 2018, HUD has funded about 50,000 new Mainstream vouchers.

To qualify, your household must include a person with a disability who is at least 18 and not yet 62 when the voucher contract starts. That person does not have to be the head of household. Once you are in the program, you do not "age out" when that person turns 62.

Mainstream vouchers also come with extra protections. Under HUD Notice PIH 2024-30:

  • You get at least 120 days to search for a unit. A regular voucher can start with as few as 60 days.
  • If you ask for more time before your voucher expires, the PHA must approve your first extension, which has to be at least 90 days. A phone call or a spoken request counts.
  • The PHA cannot give extra priority to local residents ahead of you on the Mainstream list.
  • When it hands you the voucher, the PHA must give you a list of available accessible units it knows about.

Not every PHA has Mainstream vouchers. HUD's Mainstream Vouchers page links to a list of awards by PHA, or you can ask your PHA. Some PHAs pull Mainstream families from their regular voucher waiting list, and others keep a separate Mainstream list. Ask which one applies to you, and make sure the PHA knows that someone in your household has a disability.

Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) vouchers

NED vouchers serve families whose head, co-head or spouse has a disability and is under 62 when the voucher contract is signed. The main difference from Mainstream is who has to have the disability. If the only family member with a disability is a child or another relative, you would look at Mainstream instead.

There are two kinds of NED vouchers:

  • NED Category 1 vouchers are for non-elderly families with a disability, including vouchers first awarded as "Certain Developments" or "Designated Housing" vouchers. Those helped families who were shut out of buildings that limit residents to elderly people.
  • NED Category 2 vouchers help non-elderly people with disabilities leave nursing homes or other health care facilities and move into the community.

HUD's 2023 voucher FAQ lists 2008 and 2009 funding notices as the ones that apply to NED vouchers. Only some PHAs received them. If your PHA has NED vouchers, ask how it fills them when one opens up.

Public housing

Public housing is rental housing owned and run by local housing agencies. HUD says it was set up for "low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities." It comes in many forms, from scattered single-family houses to apartment buildings.

The housing agency checks your annual gross income, whether you qualify as elderly, a person with a disability or a family, and your citizenship or eligible immigration status. HUD's low-income limit is 80% of the area median income, and its very low-income limit is 50%.

Some public housing buildings are designated for older adults. If you are under 62, ask which buildings and waiting lists you can join.

Under Section 504, new multifamily projects must make at least 5% of units accessible for people with mobility impairments and another 2% for people with hearing or vision impairments. Agencies must place people who need those features in those units.

See our guide to public housing vs. Section 8 if you are deciding which list to join.

Section 811 supportive housing

Section 811 pays for rental housing for adults with disabilities that comes with access to support services such as case management and help finding a job. HUD says residents "cannot be required to accept any supportive service as a condition of occupancy."

Section 811 works in two ways:

  • Older Section 811 buildings were built by nonprofits with HUD capital advances. Households there must be very low income (at or below 50% of area median income) and have at least one adult member with a disability. Ask the building's management how to apply.
  • Section 811 Project Rental Assistance (PRA) pays for units inside other affordable buildings. State housing agencies run it together with state health and Medicaid agencies, and residents must be extremely low income (at or below 30% of area median income). The state health agency sets the referral and tenant selection policy, and states may add their own eligibility rules.

Congress funded Section 811 at $287 million for 2026. HUD's 2027 budget request says that money supports about 34,000 households. For eligibility details, referral steps and how to find Section 811 buildings near you, read our full guide to Section 811 housing for persons with disabilities.

Income limits: an example

Income limits depend on where you live and how many people are in your household. Here are the FY2026 limits (in effect since May 1, 2026) for the Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area, which includes Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties.

Household sizeExtremely low income (30%)Very low income (50%)Low income (80%)
1 person$22,050$36,750$58,800
2 people$25,200$42,000$67,200
3 people$28,350$47,250$75,600
4 people$33,000$52,500$84,000

These numbers apply only to the Cleveland area. Look up your own area with HUD's income limits tool, or ask your PHA. You can also use our benefit finder to see which programs you might qualify for.

How to apply

  1. Find your local housing agency in HUD's PHA directory. Pick your state and look for agencies that cover where you want to live. You do not have to live in a PHA's area to apply there, though the PHA can require you to live in its area for the first 12 months.
  2. Ask the PHA which lists are open. Ask specifically about Housing Choice Vouchers, Mainstream vouchers, NED vouchers, public housing and any preference for people with disabilities. HUD notes that because of high demand you may need to apply to more than one PHA.
  3. For Section 811, use HUD's resource locator to find HUD-assisted buildings near you, then contact the building's manager. For Section 811 PRA, ask your state housing finance agency or Medicaid agency how referrals work.
  4. Gather your documents. HUD says PHAs typically ask for pay stubs and bank information, benefit paperwork such as SSI or SNAP letters, proof of citizenship and Social Security cards. Bring proof of your disability benefits if you have them, such as an SSI or SSDI award letter.
  5. Submit the application and keep a copy. For public housing, HUD says the agency must notify you in writing. If it finds you ineligible, it must say why, and you can ask for an informal hearing.

Never pay anyone to apply or to get on a list. HUD's Office of Inspector General warns that housing agencies and government agencies "will never ask you to pay for admission to housing assistance programs or to join a waitlist." Report scams to the HUD OIG hotline at 1-800-347-3735.

What happens after you apply

Your place on the list depends on how many vouchers or units open up, when you applied and any preferences you qualify for. HUD names "disabled" as one preference a PHA may use. Each PHA sets its own preferences, so ask what they are.

Keep your mailing address, phone number and household size up to date with every PHA where you applied. HUD warns that if you don't, the PHA can take you off the list.

When your name comes up, the PHA checks your income and documents again. If you are getting a voucher, you attend a briefing and then receive the voucher. A regular voucher gives you 60 to 120 days to find a unit, depending on the PHA. Mainstream vouchers start at 120 days.

Reasonable accommodations: your rights in every program

A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule, policy or service that you need because of a disability. A reasonable modification is a physical change to the home, such as a ramp or grab bars. Under the Fair Housing Act and Section 504, PHAs and landlords must allow them unless the request would be an undue financial and administrative burden or would fundamentally change the program.

HUD's voucher guidebook lists examples PHAs grant, including:

  • An extra bedroom for a live-in aide or medical equipment
  • More time to search for a unit
  • A higher payment standard (an "exception payment standard") so you can rent a unit that meets your disability-related needs, such as one near medical care
  • Home visits in place of office interviews
  • Keeping you on the waiting list if you missed a letter for a disability-related reason
  • Renting from a relative, which is normally not allowed

You can ask at any time: while you apply, while you rent, or during an eviction. You can ask out loud or in writing, and you do not have to use the PHA's form. If the PHA cannot grant what you asked for, it must talk with you about other options before it says no.

Assistance animals are a common request. HUD says service animals and emotional support animals are not pets under the Fair Housing Act, and you do not pay pet fees or deposits for them. You may need documentation from a health care provider for an emotional support animal. Our guide on service animals vs. emotional support animals explains the difference.

If you think a PHA or landlord discriminated against you, report it to HUD online or call 1-800-669-9777. There are time limits, so report it as soon as you can. For free legal advice, look for a legal aid office at lawhelp.org.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get HUD housing right away because I have a disability?

Usually not. Most programs have waiting lists. Some PHAs give a preference to people with disabilities, which can move you up the list, so ask each PHA you apply to.

Will a housing voucher lower my SSI check?

Federal SSI rules exclude the value of assistance paid under the United States Housing Act of 1937, which covers Section 8 and public housing. If you are unsure how a move or a new lease affects your check, ask Social Security. See our guide to SSDI vs. SSI for how the two benefits differ.

Can I take my voucher to another state?

Yes, in most cases. HUD calls this portability. If you did not live in the PHA's area when you applied, you may have to rent there for the first 12 months. Talk to your current PHA before you move.

What counts as a disability for HUD housing?

HUD's definition includes people who meet Social Security's disability definition, people with a developmental disability and people with a long-lasting impairment that makes it hard to live independently. The PHA decides whether you qualify, and you can give it verification from a doctor or other qualified professional.

What if my child is the one with the disability?

NED vouchers require the head, co-head or spouse to have the disability. Mainstream vouchers cover any household member with a disability who is 18 to 61. Regular Section 8 and public housing have no such rule. HUD says people who live with someone with a disability can also request reasonable accommodations, so you can ask on your child's behalf.

Sources

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