City of Phoenix Housing Department

251 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ

City of Phoenix Housing Department Waiting Lists

Waiting ListStatus
City of Phoenix Housing Department Public Housing Open Until Further Notice
Phoenix, Arizona Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Closed

There is one waiting list open now that is offered directly by City of Phoenix Housing Department.

City of Phoenix Housing Department offers the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Public Housing programs in Phoenix.

Open Until Further Notice: Public Housing Waiting List

Please Note: Due to the decentralized nature of affordable housing information, the information about this waiting list may be out of date.

As of July 2017, the City of Phoenix Housing Department (CPHD) is currently accepting Public Housing waiting list applications. 

To apply: Complete the online application here.

Important note: Applicants who have been placed on the waiting list must inform the housing authority immediately if application information changes (such as contact information, income, and household members). In the case that the office sends a notice that does not get returned, or if application information is out of date, the applicant's name may be terminated from the waiting list.

Persons placed on the waiting list can update their application information with this form. Once the form has been completed, it must be returned to the property where you have applied.

For more information, visit the CPHD website, or call the office at (602) 262-6794.

Reasonable Accommodation

Applicants who need help completing the application due to disability can make a reasonable accommodation request to the housing authority via (602)262-6794.

Next Steps

Learn more about what happens after the application is submitted.

Last Updated on 07/10/2017.

Closed: Phoenix, Arizona Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List

The City of Phoenix Housing Department (CPHD) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently closed. It was last open for 12 days in August 2016. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.


Please note: This waiting list has preferences. This means that applicants who qualify for these preferences will receive assistance before applicants who do not. Because of these preferences, applicants who do not qualify may have a longer wait to receive assistance.


To apply during the opening period, applicants were required to complete the online application.


Once the application has been completed, it was recommended to print a copy of your application as a receipt.


This waiting list has the following preferences: Referred by law enforcement agency for witness protection or other safety concerns; displaced by city action; referred by various community organizations or divisions of local government which are under Memorandum of Understanding, Memorandum of Agreement, or Contract in accordance with program regulation; live, work or have been hired to work in Phoenix; working families. Further explanation of each preference can be found on the public notice here.


Applicants were placed on the waiting list by random lottery, by order of preferences.


Important note: Applicants who have been placed on the waiting list must inform the housing authority immediately if your application information changes (such as contact information, income, and household members). In the case that the office sends a notice that does not get returned, or if application information is out of date, your name may be terminated from the waiting list. Contact the housing authority to find out how to update application information.


For more information, visit the CPHD website, or call the office at (602) 262-6794.

Last Updated on 12/01/2018.

About City of Phoenix Housing Department

About the City of Phoenix Housing Department Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of the HUDs most recent Voucher Management System report, City of Phoenix Housing Department manages 6,243 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

The following table summarizes types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each as of December 31st, 2021:

Standard Family Unification Tenant Protection Ported Out VASH
Vouchers 4,949 170 9 214 644
Monthly Cost Per Voucher $971 $1,161 $1,024 $978 $648
Monthly Cost $4,805,866 $197,308 $9,214 $209,247 $417,356
Waiting List and Tenancy

According to the 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households database, the housing authority's voucher program has an annual turnover of 13% having issued approximately 469 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 8 years and 10 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 49 months on the waiting list1.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 2.7 persons and has a household income of $12,233 per year. 91% of households were very low income (VLI) and 72% were extremely low income (ELI). 26% of households had wages as a major source of income, 1% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 63% of households had other income (Social Security, Disability or Pension) as their major source of income.

Heads of Household Characteristics

1% of households were headed by a person 24 years old or less, 55% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 27% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 17% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 1% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.

49% of households included children, 5% of which had two adults in the household. 46% of households with children have a female head of household. 76% of all households were headed by a female.

72% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 39% of all heads of households being Black and 3% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the City of Phoenix Housing Department Housing Choice Voucher program, 18% include at least one person with a disability. 33% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 73% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

37% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 22% with 2 bedrooms and 41% with 3 or more bedrooms. 6% of voucher recipients are considered overhoused, meaning they occupy a rental unit larger than their family size requires.

Rent, Assistance, and Utility Allowances

The average monthly tenant contribution to rent by City of Phoenix Housing Department voucher holders in 2016 was $304 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $794. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $185.

1. This Picture of Subsidized Households data field is the average wait time of those who received a voucher in the preceding 12 months. Due to special voucher programs like VASH, recent waiting list purges, or waiting list preferences the average wait time can vary significantly from one year to the next and it is entirely possible many current applicants on the waiting list have been waiting for assistance for far longer.