Skip to main content
KPCB Edge — Keep Pushing Costs Back
Menu

The Steps to Section 8: How to Apply and Get a Voucher

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

Real estate agent with house model and keys

To get Section 8, you apply to your local public housing agency (PHA), not to HUD. If you qualify, you go on a waiting list. When your name comes up, the PHA confirms your eligibility, gives you a voucher, and you have at least 60 days to find a rental that passes inspection.

Section 8 is the common name for HUD's Housing Choice Voucher program. It helps low-income families, older adults, veterans and people with disabilities rent in the private market. You can choose a house, townhouse or apartment, and the PHA pays part of the rent directly to the landlord. About 2,000 local PHAs run the program with HUD funding.

Step 1: Check whether you qualify

Your household's yearly income and size decide whether you can get a voucher. HUD's basic rules are:

  • Your income is generally at or below the "very low-income" limit for your area, which HUD usually sets at 50% of the area median income.
  • You or the members of your household are U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens as HUD defines them.
  • The head of household has a valid Social Security number. The PHA also asks for Social Security numbers for other household members, with a few exceptions.
  • No one in the household fails the required criminal background screening (see below).

Some families earning up to the "low-income" limit (usually 80% of area median income) can qualify in limited cases, such as families already getting assistance under another HUD housing program.

Each PHA must give at least 75% of the vouchers it hands out each year to "extremely low-income" families. That means income at or below the higher of 30% of area median income or the federal poverty line. If your income is in that range, you are in the group most new vouchers go to.

Income limits depend on where you live

There is no single national income limit for Section 8. HUD sets limits for each county or metro area every year, by household size. The FY 2026 limits took effect May 1, 2026.

As an example, here are the FY 2026 limits for the Columbus, Ohio, HUD Metro FMR Area. That area covers Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Morrow and Pickaway counties.

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

These figures apply only to the Columbus area. To find yours, use HUD's FY 2026 income limits lookup: pick your state and county, then compare your total household income to the "Very Low (50%)" and "Extremely Low" rows.

Our guide to Section 8 income eligibility explains what counts as income. To see which other programs you might qualify for at the same time, try the KPCB Edge benefit finder.

Background checks

Federal rules require a PHA to deny admission in a few situations, including:

  • Any household member is subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement.
  • Any household member was convicted of making methamphetamine on the grounds of federally assisted housing.
  • A household member was evicted from federally assisted housing for drug-related criminal activity within the last three years. The PHA may still admit the family if that person has been rehabilitated or the circumstances no longer exist.
  • The PHA finds that a household member is currently using illegal drugs, or that drug or alcohol abuse would threaten other residents.

PHAs can add their own screening rules, and those rules must be written in their administrative plan. A PHA cannot deny you based only on an arrest. If it plans to deny you because of a conviction record, it must show you the record and let you dispute it. Read more in what Section 8 looks for in a background check.

Step 2: Find the housing agency where you want to live

Use HUD's Public Housing Agency directory to find PHAs in your area. HUD itself does not take applications or keep waiting lists.

You do not have to live in a PHA's area to apply there. But if you lived outside its area when you applied, the PHA can require you to rent within its area for your first 12 months on the program.

Because waiting lists are long, HUD suggests you may need to apply to more than one PHA. Check each agency's website or call to learn whether its Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is open and how it takes applications. Some take them online, some by mail, and some in person. When a closed list reopens, the PHA must announce it to the public, usually on its website, so check back.

Step 3: Apply and gather your documents

Each PHA uses its own application, and the papers it asks for can vary. HUD says they usually include:

  • Income records, such as pay stubs, plus bank information
  • Paperwork for any other public assistance you get, such as SSI or SNAP
  • Proof of citizenship or eligible immigration status
  • Social Security cards

All adults in the household will also sign consent forms so the PHA can check your income and run background screenings.

Applying costs nothing. HUD's Office of Inspector General says housing authorities and government agencies will never ask you to pay to join a waitlist or to get into a housing assistance program. Scammers post fake "Section 8 waitlist open" ads on social media to collect fees or personal information. Don't answer those ads or give your Social Security number in reply. Instead, call your PHA at the number on its official website and ask whether the list is open.

HUD also warns you not to pay anyone to fill out your application. Only the PHA decides who is eligible. You can report a scam to the HUD OIG Hotline at 1-800-347-3735.

Be accurate on every form. HUD checks the income and household information you report against other government records, and giving false information is fraud. You can lose your assistance and may have to pay it back.

Step 4: Wait for your name to come up

If the PHA finds you eligible, it will usually put you on its waiting list. When you reach the top depends on how many vouchers the agency has, when you applied, and any selection preferences you qualify for. PHAs can give preference to groups such as veterans or people with disabilities, so answer any preference questions on your application.

While you wait:

  • Tell the PHA right away if your mailing address, phone number or household size changes. HUD says not doing this can get you removed from the list.
  • Answer any letter or email that asks you to confirm you still want to stay on the list.
  • Contact the PHA if you want an update on your place on the list.

Our guide on how to confirm your Section 8 application is on the waitlist walks through status checks.

Step 5: Attend the briefing and get your voucher

When you are selected, the PHA contacts you and verifies your documents and income again. You then attend a voucher briefing, where the PHA explains how the program works, your rights and duties, and how moving with a voucher works.

After the briefing the PHA can issue your voucher. HUD describes the search time as 60 to 120 days, set by the PHA, and the rules require at least 60. The expiration date is printed on the voucher.

Step 6: Find a unit and submit the Request for Tenancy Approval

Finding a home is your job, so start right away. Ways to look:

  • Ask the PHA for its list of landlords who accept vouchers.
  • Never pay money just to see a unit. HUD says that is a sign of a scam.
  • Use HUD's Resource Locator, linked from HUD's voucher tenant page, to find Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties near you. HUD says these properties must accept housing vouchers.
  • Ask friends and family, and ask the PHA about neighborhoods you might not have considered.
  • Visit units in person before you decide.

HUD suggests avoiding units that cost far more than the PHA's payment standard, units owned by your relatives, and units unlikely to pass inspection. Plan for costs the voucher does not cover: some landlords charge application fees, and the security deposit is not paid by the program.

Some cities and states ban landlords from turning away renters because they use a voucher. Ask your PHA what applies where you are searching. For free legal help, look up your state on LawHelp.org.

When you find a place, fill out the Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) packet from your PHA. The landlord completes and signs part of it too. Turn it in with a copy of the proposed lease before your voucher expires.

The clock on your voucher stops while the PHA reviews your RFTA. It starts again when the PHA tells you in writing whether the unit was approved or denied.

If time is running out

Contact your PHA and ask for an extension before the voucher expires. PHAs decide their own extension rules, and there is no limit on how many extensions they can approve. If someone in your household has a disability and needs more time because of it, the PHA must extend the voucher as a reasonable accommodation when you ask.

Step 7: Inspection, rent check and lease signing

After you submit the RFTA, three things happen before you move in.

First, the PHA inspects the unit. It checks the inside of the unit, shared areas of the building, and outside areas tied to your unit. Inspectors look for working plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, windows that open and have screens, working appliances, and lead-based paint compliance. HUD is moving voucher inspections to a newer standard called NSPIRE, so ask your PHA which checklist it uses.

Second, the PHA checks that the rent is reasonable compared with similar unassisted units nearby. It may negotiate with the landlord.

Third, the PHA checks what you would pay. When you first move into a unit whose rent plus utilities is above the payment standard, your share cannot be more than 40% of your monthly adjusted income. If it would be, the PHA cannot approve that unit.

Once all three are done, you sign the lease with the landlord, and the PHA signs a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract with the landlord.

How much rent you pay

Your share, called the Total Tenant Payment or family rent portion, is usually 30% of your adjusted monthly income. The PHA uses a payment standard, which is the most it will pay toward rent and utilities for a unit of your size in your area.

The payment standard is not a rent cap. You can pick a more expensive unit and pay the difference, as long as you stay under the 40% limit when you first move in. The PHA pays its share, the housing assistance payment, straight to the landlord. If your income drops, you can ask the PHA to recalculate your rent.

Keeping your voucher

HUD calls your duties "family obligations." To keep your assistance:

  • Pay your share of the rent on time and follow your lease.
  • Do not damage the unit beyond normal wear and tear.
  • Live in the unit as your main home, and let only people listed on your voucher live there.
  • Let inspectors in for regular inspections, which usually happen every 1 to 2 years, and for any complaint-based visits.
  • Tell the PHA right away about changes in income or who lives with you, plans to move or end your lease, and long absences from home.
  • Complete your yearly recertification and give the PHA full information about income and assets.

If a unit fails a later inspection, life-threatening problems must be fixed within 24 hours, and other problems typically within 30 days. To add someone to your household, see how to add someone to your Section 8 voucher.

Moving with your voucher (portability)

You can generally take your voucher to any community in the United States. This is called portability. Tell your PHA ahead of time, end your current lease according to its terms, and line up a new place.

If you did not live in the PHA's area when you applied, you may have to stay there for your first 12 months. For a move to another agency's area, your current PHA contacts the new one, sends your paperwork, and works out whether the new agency will bill your old PHA or take you into its own program. The new PHA then issues you a voucher under its own rules. Details are in our guide to transferring a Section 8 voucher to another state.

Frequently asked questions

Is Section 8 the same as public housing?

No. Public housing units are owned and run by a housing agency. A Section 8 voucher lets you rent from a private landlord who agrees to take part. Some PHAs also have project-based vouchers, where the help stays with a specific unit instead of moving with you.

How long is the Section 8 waiting list?

It depends on the PHA, how many vouchers it has, and how many people applied. HUD says wait times can be long. Your PHA is the only one who can tell you where you stand.

Can I apply to more than one housing agency?

Yes. HUD says you may need to apply to several PHA waiting lists because demand is high. Keep your contact information current with each one.

What if my voucher expires before I find a place?

Ask your PHA for an extension before the expiration date. If it expires anyway, the PHA cannot call you ineligible just because you could not find a unit. It may ask you to reapply or put you back on the list with a new application date.

Does the voucher pay my security deposit?

No. The program does not cover security deposits. Some landlords let you pay a deposit in installments, and some PHAs limit how much a landlord can charge, so ask both.

I'm a landlord. How do I accept Section 8?

Contact the PHA in your area. The unit has to pass inspection, the rent has to be found reasonable, and you sign a HAP contract with the PHA. Our guide on how to become a Section 8 landlord covers each step.

Sources

Three generations of a family sitting together on their lawn with their dogs

Up next · Free course

How to Apply for Section 8

From checking if you qualify to moving in with your voucher, in 12 short lessons.

12 lessons · about 27 minutes · free, no sign-up needed

Continue with lesson 5: Find your housing agency

Want to go further? Our free Academy walks you through the application step by step. Open the Academy

More on Housing