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Section 811 Housing for People With Disabilities: How to Apply

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

Section 811 is a HUD program that pays for rental housing for very low-income adults with disabilities. If you get a Section 811 unit, your share of the rent is based on your income, usually about 30% of your adjusted monthly income. You apply at the property itself or, for some units, through a state referral, and applying is always free.

How Section 811 works

HUD runs Section 811 in two main ways, and they are easy to mix up.

Section 811 supportive housing (PRAC properties)

Nonprofit groups use HUD money to build or buy apartment buildings and group homes for people with disabilities. HUD then pays the owner a monthly subsidy, called project rental assistance, to cover the gap between what tenants pay and what it costs to run the building. You apply directly to the property's management office.

Section 811 Project Rental Assistance (PRA)

Under this newer version, HUD gives money to state housing agencies. The state sets aside units inside regular affordable apartment buildings, such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties, and pays rental assistance on them. No more than 25% of the units in a building can be set aside this way, so tenants with disabilities live alongside other renters.

PRA units are filled through referrals. Each state housing agency partners with its state Medicaid or health and human services agency, which finds and refers people who need these units.

Both versions are tied to the unit. Unlike a Section 8 voucher, the help does not move with you if you leave.

Who qualifies

Only the property owner (or, for PRA, the state program) decides whether you qualify. These are the federal rules they start from.

Disability

Your household must include at least one adult (18 or older) with a disability. Under HUD's Section 811 rules, this can include:

  • A developmental disability that began before age 22, is expected to last indefinitely, and causes major limits in three or more areas of daily life, such as self-care, mobility, learning or living independently
  • A chronic mental illness that seriously limits your ability to live on your own
  • Other physical or mental disabilities that meet the definition in the Section 811 law

A diagnosis of HIV, alcoholism or drug addiction counts only if the person also meets the main Section 811 disability definition. It does not qualify someone by itself.

Some Section 811 buildings serve people with a similar type of disability who need similar services, if HUD approves it. Even then, the owner must accept any qualified person with a disability who could benefit from the housing or services.

For PRA units, the person with a disability must also be eligible for community-based long-term services through the state's Medicaid plan, state-funded services, or other services listed in the state's partnership agreement.

Income

For Section 811 supportive housing, your household must be very low-income, which means at or below 50% of the area median income. PRA units have a tighter limit: extremely low-income, at or below 30% of area median income.

These limits change by area and by year. FY2026 limits took effect May 1, 2026. Here is one example so you can see the scale.

Household sizeVery low income (50%)Extremely low income
1 person$39,050$23,450
2 people$44,600$26,800
3 people$50,200$30,150
4 people$55,750$33,450

FY2026 income limits for the Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area (Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Morrow and Pickaway counties).

Your area's limits will be different. Look them up with HUD's income limits tool by choosing FY2026 and your state and county.

Other requirements

Everyone applying has to give Social Security numbers as HUD requires and sign consent forms that let the owner check wage and benefit records. Each property may also have its own occupancy requirements approved by HUD.

If anyone in your household is not a U.S. citizen, ask the property manager how immigration status affects your application before you apply.

How your rent is figured

Your monthly payment, called the total tenant payment, is the highest of these amounts:

  • 30% of your household's monthly adjusted income
  • 10% of your household's monthly gross income
  • If you get welfare payments and part is set aside for housing, that set-aside amount

HUD's rule also lists a minimum rent. Ask the property whether one applies to you.

If you pay some utilities yourself, the owner subtracts a utility allowance from your total tenant payment. What's left is your tenant rent.

Here is a simple example. Say your adjusted income is $1,000 a month and your gross income is $1,100 a month. 30% of $1,000 is $300, and 10% of $1,100 is $110. Your total tenant payment would be $300, the higher of the two.

In Section 811 supportive housing, the owner checks your income and household at least every 12 months and adjusts your rent. You also have to report income changes between those reviews. If your income rises so much that your payment equals or passes the full rent, the subsidy stops, but you keep your lease and can get the subsidy back later if your income drops.

How to apply

Applying for Section 811 is free. HUD's Office of Inspector General says housing authorities and government agencies "will never ask you to pay for admission to housing assistance programs or to join a waitlist." If anyone asks for a fee, report it to the HUD OIG Hotline at 1-800-347-3735.

Step 1: Find Section 811 properties near you

Use HUD's affordable housing map, choose "Find Affordable Housing Opportunities Near Me," and enter your ZIP code. Click the icons to get each property's contact details. The map does not show vacancies or waitlists, so you have to call the property.

You can also call HUD's Multifamily Housing Clearinghouse at 1-800-685-8470, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern. Staff can refer you to subsidized properties in your area.

Step 2: Ask about a PRA referral if your state has one

If your state runs a Section 811 PRA program, contact your state Medicaid agency or the case manager, social worker or service provider you already work with. Ask whether they can refer you. HUD Exchange has a list of state housing agencies that received PRA grants in FY2012, FY2013 and FY2019, with links to each program.

Step 3: Fill out the property's application

Each property uses HUD's application process. Expect to give:

  • Names and Social Security numbers for everyone in the household
  • All sources of income, such as SSI, SSDI, wages or pensions
  • Information about where you have lived before
  • Proof of disability, in the form the property asks for

You'll sign the application along with the owner, and you'll sign consent forms so the owner can verify your income. A social worker, case manager or family member can help you fill it out.

Apply at more than one property if you can. Each building keeps its own waiting list.

Step 4: Get your place on the waiting list

If no unit is open, the owner puts you on the property's written waiting list, which is kept in the order people applied. Ask for your place on the list or a confirmation in writing, and keep it with the property's name and phone number.

If the list is so long that new applicants likely would not get in for 12 months, the owner can stop taking applications. Ask when the list might reopen, then keep applying elsewhere.

What happens next

When a suitable unit opens, the owner contacts you. If you are still eligible, the owner assigns you a unit of the right size for your household under HUD's occupancy guidelines, and you sign a lease. Be ready to update your income and household information.

HUD does not set a waiting time for Section 811. It depends on how many units the property has and how often they turn over. Ask the property for an estimate.

While you wait, keep your phone number, mailing address and email up to date with every property where you applied. If they can't reach you when your turn comes, you could lose your spot.

If you are turned down

The owner must tell you in writing why you were rejected and that you have the right to ask for a meeting to review the decision. Someone other than the staff member who made the first decision has to run that meeting. Ask for it in writing and keep a copy.

Federal rules require owners to deny admission in a few cases:

  • Any household member is subject to lifetime sex offender registration in any state
  • A household member was evicted from federally assisted housing for drug-related criminal activity in the last three years, unless they finished an approved rehabilitation program or the circumstances no longer exist
  • Someone in the household is currently using illegal drugs, or the owner has reasonable cause to believe drug use would threaten other residents

Outside those rules, owners have discretion. They can weigh how serious and how recent a problem was, whether other household members were involved, and evidence of rehabilitation. Our guide to what HUD housing looks for in a background check covers this in more detail.

If you think you were rejected because of your race, disability, religion or another protected reason, call HUD's fair housing line at 1-800-669-9777. For free legal advice about a denial or a lease problem, find a legal aid office through LawHelp.org.

Section 811 compared with Section 8 and Section 202

Section 811Section 8 voucherSection 202
Who it servesVery low-income adults with disabilitiesLow-income families, older adults and people with disabilitiesVery low-income older adults
Where the help goesA specific unitYou, to use with a private landlordA specific unit
Where you applyThe property, or a state referral for PRA unitsYour local public housing agencyThe property

If an 811 waitlist is closed, you can apply for these other programs at the same time. See how to apply for Section 202 or our overview of HUD housing programs for people with disabilities. You can also use the KPCB Edge benefit finder to see what else you may qualify for.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get Section 811 if I live alone?

Yes. A household of one adult with a disability qualifies, as long as you meet the income limit and the property's occupancy rules.

Can a family member or caregiver live with me?

Yes, in many cases. HUD's definition of a disabled household includes a person with a disability living with someone HUD finds important to their care or well-being, based on a statement from a professional such as a social worker or doctor.

Does SSI or SSDI count as income?

Generally, yes. HUD counts income from all sources unless a rule specifically excludes it, so benefits like SSI and SSDI are part of the income used for your eligibility and rent. Our guide to SSDI and SSI explains the difference between the two.

What happens to the unit if the person with a disability dies?

Surviving household members who were living in the unit at the time still count as a disabled household under HUD's rules. Talk with the property manager about the lease.

Is there an age limit?

The person with a disability must be at least 18. HUD's Section 811 definition of a disabled household sets no upper age, but PRA units cannot be in buildings restricted to people 62 and older. If you are 62 or older, Section 202 senior housing may also be an option.

Does Section 811 pay all of my rent?

No. You pay your total tenant payment, which is usually 30% of your adjusted monthly income, and HUD's rental assistance covers the rest of the approved cost of your unit.

Sources

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