Analysis by Nathan Brunet
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Section 8 waiting list is currently closed. It was last open for one month in October 2014; and before that in 2010. There is no notice of when this waiting list will reopen.
To apply during the opening period, applicants were required to complete the online application.
Preferences have not yet been confirmed.
Selected applicants were added to the waiting list by random lottery.
More than 280,000 people applied in 2014, up from the 203,000 people who applied in 2010.
Applicants were sent a letter by mail after April 2015 to notify them if they were placed on the waiting list or not.
The CHA estimates the wait time for those selected to be between 1 and 5 years.
For more information, visit the CHA Housing Choice Voucher Program page here.
Chicago, Illinois has preferences for: Preferences Unconfirmed. Preferences are not required but Section 8 Voucher applicants that meet these criteria will be moved up the waiting list.
Chicago, Illinois Section 8 Voucher Waiting List is managed by Chicago Housing Authority.
Chicago Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 76,679 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Chicago, Illinois.
After applying, it's a good practice to keep a record of any application that you submit. This will help you keep track of your application, and is especially useful if you apply to multiple waiting lists. You can do this easily with a document on your computer or mobile device, and also with a notebook or piece of paper.
Make sure to write down your application or confirmation number with the application details. This number will be important to reference in the future. Once you have this information written, keep it stored in a place that's easy to access when you need it.
With this information safely stored, all you have left to do is wait to find out if you've been selected for the waiting list.
Depending on the area, it may take weeks or even months to know if you've been selected for the waiting list. Your wait for an announcement is usually the longest in areas with large populations and a high demand for housing assistance.
Check if the public notice states when the housing authority plans to announce the results, or how long it may take to review applications. Contact the housing authority if this information isn't available.
Once all applications are reviewed, the housing authority will either contact everyone who has been placed on the waiting list, or message everyone who applied to check their results.
The housing authority will use the contact information you give in the application to reach you (usually by mail, email, or phone). For this reason, it is very important to put valid contact information on your application. Make sure you keep your contact information up to date, and that you respond quickly if any further action is required.
If you don't get contacted by the housing authority, it might mean that you were not chosen for the waiting list. Sometimes, housing authorities do not contact applicants who were not placed on the waiting list. Check with the housing authority for confirmation.
To check your status on the waiting list, you usually have to log into an online portal, call a phone number, or visit the office. Each housing authority has different ways for you to check your status.
Some housing authorities will give your spot on the waiting list, but others might only confirm that you're still on the waiting list. Make sure that you have your application or confirmation number with you when checking your status.
The wait to reach the top of this waiting list will be different for everyone.
It has not been confirmed if this waiting list has preferences. If there is at least one preference, those who qualify will have a shorter wait than those who don't. But if there are no preferences, all applicants are placed on the waiting list randomly. So, there could be a big difference between your wait time, depending on your spot on the waiting list.
If you are closer to the top of the waiting list, your wait may be just weeks or months long. But if you're closer to the end of the waiting list, it could take years to reach the top.
To update your waiting list application, you usually have to log into an online portal, call a phone number, or submit a form to the office. Each housing authority has different ways for you to update your application.
Make sure that you have your application or confirmation number with you when updating your application.
You cannot apply for a waiting list that is closed until it is reopened by the housing authority. It is not known when the housing authority will announce the next opening.
To apply online, an electronic form must be submitted to the housing authority on the internet. Many online applications require an account to be created to log in, and also a valid email address.
A waiting list sorted by random lottery orders applicants who are selected for the waiting list by a random number system. The time you apply does not factor into your waiting list placement.
If you are considering applying for a voucher, you may be interested to know who already has a voucher, and what the households tend to look like. Fortunately, we can provide some helpful statistics using HUD's 2023 Picture of Subsidized Households. The following data describes the economic and demographic characteristics of renters who have a Section or project-based voucher issued by Chicago Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Chicago Housing Authority was managing 59,813 Section 8 vouchers. Of the total number of vouchers managed, there were 51,439 households with a voucher. This represents 86% of the total voucher allotment for Chicago Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 110,287 people living in households with a Section 8 voucher issued by Chicago Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 51,439 households with a Section 8 voucher at the start of 2024 waited on average 50 months to receive their voucher. Of those voucher-holding households, 3,601 got their voucher in the last year. This represents 7 percent of voucher holders with vouchers issued by Chicago Housing Authority.
Though Section 8 voucher programs are over-subscribed across the nation with all programs having a waiting list, each month, each housing agency managing vouchers has vouchers that are not issued to renters. This can result from turnover in the program if someone with a voucher buys a home, sees an increase in their income, passes away, or otherwise discontinues the use of their voucher.
The time it takes to transfer voucher funding from one recipient to another can be many months. Managing the Section 8 waiting list, qualifying new voucher holders, and approving new homes or apartments takes time. In addition, in some areas, there is an extreme housing shortage or landlords may refuse to rent to persons using a Section 8 voucher to pay their rent. This results in longer than usual ramp-up times for new voucher holders.
The Chicago Housing Authority Section 8 HCV program that this waiting list covers had 86% of its vouchers utilized by households with 14% unutilized at the start of 2024. This means that 8374 Section 8 vouchers out of a total of 59,813 were in processing at the time HUD reported the data.
Of the 51,439 Section 8 voucher-holding households with the Chicago Housing Authority, 20,935 have at least one child. There are 598 two-parent households in the Chicago Housing Authority voucher program, and 20,336 single-parent households. There were 19,738 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Chicago Housing Authority Section 8 Voucher holders is $14,771 The average annual income per person is $7,073 The average voucher holder earns 17% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 4,630 | 9% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 9,259 | 18% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 15,946 | 31% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 6,173 | 12% |
| $20,000+ | 14,917 | 29% |
Of all voucher holders, 17,346 (29%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 1,196 (2%) voucher-holding households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 32,299 (54%) voucher-holding households derive the majority of their income from some other source (other than wage or welfare).
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program pays 70% of the cost of rent plus utilities for any household receiving the housing assistance.
For the Chicago Housing Authority Section 8 program, the federal government is providing, on average, $1,151 per month to each household, for an average annual cost of $13,812. The program as a whole is paying landlords $59,206,289 per month, for an annual economic benefit to landlords of $710,475,468
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the Section 8 tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Chicago Housing Authority Section 8 HCV programs, the average family expenditure is $402 per month or $4,824 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $20,678,478 per month, which is $248,141,736 per year.
The average total rent paid to Section 8 landlords is $1,553 per month which includes payment contributed by both tenant households and the federal government. This is a program-wide rent average across all bedroom size rentals.
The average cost of utilities for renters in this program is $157 per month. It is important to note this is not the actual cost renters will pay for utilities, but an estimate based on the energy cost estimates of the program.
Of the 59,813 households with a Section 8 voucher, 14,917 (29%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 16,461 (32%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 20,061 (39%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 34% of Housing Choice Voucher recipients are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
96% of Chicago Housing Authority Section 8 HCV program households have a minority head of household who is Black, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander; or of Hispanic ethnicity.
| Race | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 514 | 1% |
| Black Non-Hispanic | 44,238 | 86% |
| Native American/Alaskan | 0 | 0% |
| White Non-Hispanic | 2,058 | 4% |
| Black Hispanic | 514 | 1% |
| White Hispanic | 3,601 | 7% |
| Other Hispanic | 0 | 0% |
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 1,029 | 2% |
| 25-50/td> | 23,148 | 45% |
| 51-61 | 10,288 | 20% |
| 62-84 | 15,946 | 31% |
| 85 or Older | 1,029 | 2% |
Know your rights as a Section 8 tenant.
In many areas, private landlords with an available unit can refuse interested tenants who have a Section 8 voucher. Check your local laws.Libby Trahan says:
"I knew nothing about Section 8 or other affordable housing options, but Affordable Housing Online is very informative and I have learned about resources that I never knew were available."