About San Francisco Housing Authority

The San Francisco Housing Authority is a Section 8 and Public Housing public housing agency in San Francisco, California.

The San Francisco Housing Authority serves San Francisco.

San Francisco Housing Authority Waiting Lists

San Francisco Housing Authority Section 8 HCV Waiting List : Closed

The San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently closed. It is not known when the waiting list was last open, or when it will reopen.

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 In the case that the office sends a notice that does not get returned, or if application information is out of date, your name may be terminated from the waiting list.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 SFHA website, or call the office at (415) 715-3280.
The San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) is not accepting Section 8 Project-Based Voucher waiting list pre-applications at this time.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is NOT the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. The Section 8 Project-Based Voucher program operates similarly to Public Housing, in which tenants must live in a specific unit to receive housing assistance. For HCV information, please scroll up above the PBV section.

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 pre-application.

This waiting list has the following preferences: San Francisco District Attorney referrals, Public Housing residents who have been approved for emergency transfer, involuntarily displaced with Residential Certificate of Preference, Involuntarily displaced with an Ellis Act Housing Preference Certificate, homeless in permanent supportive housing and shelters HSA/DPH referral, involuntary displacement from residence in San Francisco, homeless in San Francisco, substandard non-homeless in San Francisco, resident in San Francisco paying more than 70% of household income in rent.

Applicants were placed on the waiting list by random lottery, after sorting 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 SFHA website, or call the office at (415) 715-3280.

Last Updated on 05/24/2016.

Public Housing Waiting List: Closed

The San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) is not accepting Public Housing waiting list pre-applications at this time.

For more information, visit the SFHA website, or call the office at (415) 715-3280.

Last Updated on 10/06/2015.

About the San Francisco Housing Authority Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of March 31st, 2016 the San Francisco Housing Authority manages 9,076 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

The following is a summary of the types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each:

Standard Homeownership Family Unification Tenant Protection Ported Out VASH Non-Elderly Disabled
Vouchers 6,005 3 75 511 18 721 76
Monthly Cost Per Voucher $1,519 $1,089 $1,810 $1,361 $704 $1,184 $1,607
Monthly Cost $9,122,725 $3,266 $135,722 $695,276 $12,675 $853,619 $122,096

Household Characteristics of Voucher Holders for San Francisco Housing Authority

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 16% having issued approximately 563 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 9 years and 1 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 28 months on the waiting list1.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 1.9 persons and has a household income of $18,574 per year. 96% of households were very low income (VLI) and 85% were extremely low income (ELI). 28% of households had wages as a major source of income, 4% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 66% 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, 22% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 27% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 51% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 8% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.

19% of households included children, 4% of which had two adults in the household. 15% of households with children have a female head of household. 56% of all households were headed by a female.

56% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 22% of all heads of households being Black and 1% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the San Francisco Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher program, 44% include at least one person with a disability. 46% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 88% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

52% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 26% with 2 bedrooms and 22% with 3 or more bedrooms. 13% 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 San Francisco Housing Authority voucher holders in 2016 was $479 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $1,569. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $110.



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.

Public Housing Operated by San Francisco Housing Authority

North Beach Place

455 Bay St
San Francisco,  San Francisco County,  California
North Beach Place is a 341 unit low income housing apartment community in San Francisco.
Apartments in this community are not rent subsidized. However, this apartment community has rents considered affordable for low income families in San Francisco.
Low Income Housing Tax Credit
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Ping Yuen North and 990 Pacific

822 Pacific Ave
San Francisco,  San Francisco County,  California
Ping Yuen North and 990 Pacific is a 286 unit low income housing apartment community in San Francisco.
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1760 Bush and 1880 Pine

1880 Pine St
San Francisco,  San Francisco County,  California
1760 Bush and 1880 Pine is a 221 unit low income housing apartment community in San Francisco.
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Rosa Parks and San Jules Apartments

1251 Turk St
San Francisco,  San Francisco County,  California
Rosa Parks and San Jules Apartments is a 206 unit low income housing apartment community in San Francisco.
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255 Woodside

255 Woodside Ave
San Francisco,  San Francisco County,  California
255 Woodside is a 110 unit low income housing apartment community in San Francisco.
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Affordable Apartments near San Francisco Housing Authority

Lassen Apartments

Image of Lassen Apartments
441 Ellis Street
San Francisco,  San Francisco County,  California
Lassen Apartments is a 81 unit low income housing apartment community that provides St.-1 bedroom apartments for rent in San Francisco.
Some or all apartments in this community are rent subsidized, which means rent is income based.
Project-Based Section 8 Low Income Housing Tax Credit Project Based Rental Assistance

Thomas Paine Apartments

Image of Thomas Paine Apartments
1086 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco,  San Francisco County,  California
Thomas Paine Apartments is a 98 unit low income housing apartment community that provides St.-4 bedroom apartments for rent in San Francisco.
Some or all apartments in this community are rent subsidized, which means rent is income based.
Project-Based Section 8 Project Based Rental Assistance

All Hallows

65 Navy Rd
San Francisco,  San Francisco County,  California
All Hallows is a 157 unit low income housing apartment community in San Francisco.
Some or all apartments in this community are rent subsidized, which means rent is income based.
Project-Based Section 8 Project Based Rental Assistance