How Do I Find an Open Section 8 Waiting List?

Visit Affordable Housing Online.
Search for your area on Affordable Housing Online.
Sign up to Affordable Housing Online’s email alerts.
Contact a housing authority

Waiting lists are operated by the Public Housing Agency (or housing authority) that manages the Section 8 HCV program. Sometimes a local agency will partner with a housing authority, and operate the HCV program and its waiting list on behalf of the housing authority.

You can only apply to a waiting list if it's open for application submissions. Housing authorities open and close waiting lists for application submissions periodically. A waiting list may be open for a single day, or for several years. Usually, waiting lists are open for more than one day.

Option 1: Visit Affordable Housing Online.

Discover the latest Section 8 HCV waiting list openings here.
- Scroll down for a table of all open waiting lists by state.

Option 2: Search for your area on Affordable Housing Online.

Use the search bar here to search for your city, county, or state. Open waiting lists will appear in the Waiting List Openings section of those pages.

Option 3: Sign up to Affordable Housing Online’s email alerts.

You can sign up to receive waiting list alerts by email here.

Option 4: Contact a housing authority

Housing authorities are required by HUD to release a public notice announcing the waiting list opening. It's beneficial to know how announcements are made, especially if there's no website to visit. Contact a housing authority, or visit its website to find out how it announces waiting list openings.

You can find a directory of housing authority contact information here.

Continue Reading: Part 3: How Do I Apply to a Section 8 Waiting List? »