AffordableHousingOnline

What Is the Public Housing Program?

The Public Housing rental assistance program allows low-income renters to pay a portion of their monthly income for rent.

Public Housing participants have a unit assigned to them by a federal housing authority. Public Housing waiting list openings can be rare, but sometimes are more frequent than openings for Section 8 vouchers.

Read this guide to learn how to apply to the Public Housing program.

Start the guide at Part 1: Who qualifies for Public Housing? or choose a topic from the list below.

Public Housing Guide Guide

  1. Who qualifies for Public Housing?
    1. Basic Requirements
    2. Income Eligibility
    3. Restrictions and Preferences
    4. Common Disqualifiers
  2. How Do I Find an Open Public Housing Waiting List?
    1. Visit Affordable Housing Online
    2. Search for your area on Affordable Housing Online.
    3. Sign up to Affordable Housing Online’s email alerts.
    4. Contact a Housing Authority.
  3. How Do I Apply to a Public Housing Waiting List?
    1. Obtain the application.
    2. Complete the application.
    3. Submit the application.
  4. What Do I Do After Applying to a Public Waiting List?
    1. Wait for your application to be processed.
    2. Confirm your waiting list status.
    3. Estimate your wait time.
    4. Stay in contact with the housing office.
    5. Attend final eligibility interview.
    6. Move into offered unit.