Section 8 waitlist open: how to find one and apply

A Section 8 waitlist is open only when your local housing authority, the government office that runs housing help, says so, and some open for just a few days. As of October 5, 2026, we list 49 open housing-authority waitlists, and you can filter for them under "Section 8 / public housing" on our listings page. You apply to the authority, for free, then wait.

What is Section 8?

Section 8 is the common name for the Housing Choice Voucher program. HUD, the federal housing department, says it helps low-income families, elderly people, veterans and disabled people afford housing in the private market, and that it serves over 2.3 million families. The voucher pays part of your rent straight to the landlord, and you pay the difference.

You don't apply to HUD. HUD says around 2,000 local housing authorities run the program, and each keeps its own waitlist. HUD also says that:

• families generally must be extremely low-income or very low-income;
• applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens;
• the head of the household must have a valid Social Security number;
• some crimes can make an applicant ineligible. Federal rules require authorities to bar admission in several cases, including lifetime sex offender registration, a past conviction for making methamphetamine in federally assisted housing, current illegal drug use, and a drug-related eviction from federally assisted housing in the last three years (with narrow exceptions). They let authorities decide on other recent drug-related or violent crime.

Federal rules also say at least 75% of the families an authority admits from its list in a year must be extremely low income. That means income at or below 30% of the area median, or the federal poverty level if that is higher. For how income limits work, see our guide on how to qualify for affordable housing.

How do Section 8 waitlists open and close?

The authority decides. When it opens a list, federal rules say it must give public notice, in a local newspaper and through minority media and other suitable means. If it decides the list already holds enough families for its funding, it may stop taking applications. It may also keep a separate list for a county or a city. In our data, some authorities keep separate lists for public housing and for single buildings with "project-based" vouchers, which are vouchers tied to one building.

Four examples from the authorities' own pages show how different it can be:

• Cleveland takes applications all year. A voucher application stays active for 18 months, and the authority picks applicants by lottery as funding allows. Your name might come up within days or take months.
• Tacoma says its lists are open continuously, and that it can't predict how long anyone will wait.
• Minneapolis opens a state-funded voucher list, not a Section 8 list, from October 13 to 15, 2026. It expects the drawing to add as many as 1,500 households to the waitlist, for 300 to 350 new vouchers. Applying early gives no advantage.
• Fairfax County, Virginia, takes applications for building-specific vouchers from October 5 to 11, 2026. Its regular voucher list is closed.

Which Section 8 waitlists are open right now?

We list 49 open housing-authority waitlists as of October 5, 2026. Here is what that number includes.

• They come from 31 agencies in 19 states. Sixteen are the Alaska offices of one agency, whose page shows regular voucher lists open in several communities.
• Outside Alaska, 12 of the other 33 include a regular Section 8 voucher list. The rest are public housing lists, lists for single buildings with project-based vouchers, and a few special or state-funded lists.
• Ten have a closing date, and six of those close by October 19.
• HUD says around 2,000 authorities run vouchers, and we cover 31. A list that isn't here may be open.

A few real examples, with links to our listing pages:

State pages show what's open in each place: Alaska, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Check dates on the authority's own site before you count on them, because they change.

How do you apply for Section 8?

1. Find authorities near where you'd like to live. HUD's directory of housing authorities lists them by state.
2. Check each authority's website to see if its voucher list is open. If it's closed, ask how it will announce the next opening.
3. Gather what applications usually ask for: names and birth dates of everyone in the household, your address, pay stubs and bank information, benefit letters, proof of citizenship or immigration status, and Social Security cards. Exact papers vary by authority.
4. Apply the way the authority allows, inside its window, and save your confirmation. Some, like Tacoma and Cleveland, use an online portal that needs an email address.
5. Apply to more than one authority. HUD says you may need to, and you don't have to live there to apply.

Never pay to apply. The Federal Trade Commission, the federal consumer watchdog, says scammers build sites that look like Section 8 registration pages, and that real authorities charge no fees, never ask you to wire money or pay with a prepaid card, and won't contact you to suggest you join a list.

What happens after you apply?

If you're found eligible, your name typically goes on the waitlist. HUD says how fast you move depends on how many vouchers the authority has, when you applied, and any preferences you marked, such as veteran or disabled. When you reach the top, the authority contacts you to check your eligibility and income. Federal rules say it must have proof of your eligibility from within 60 days before it issues a voucher.

After an orientation, you may get a voucher. Federal rules say the voucher must last at least 60 days, and authorities can extend it. HUD says search time is usually 60 to 120 days. You then find a home, the landlord signs paperwork, and the unit must pass an inspection.

Keep your contact information current. HUD says that if you don't report a new address, phone number or household size, you may be removed from the list.

How long is the wait?

Long, and nobody can promise you a number. HUD says waits can be long, and USA.gov says long waits are common because money is limited. Tacoma says it can't predict anyone's wait. Minneapolis's October opening shows the odds: up to 1,500 households added to a list for 300 to 350 vouchers. Being on a list never guarantees a voucher.

While you wait, don't stop looking. Housing lotteries and first-come buildings run on different timelines and don't need a voucher. Our free income and household check shows which open homes fit you, and our guide to income-restricted apartments explains how they work.