Analysis by Nathan Brunet
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Houston Housing Authority (HHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently closed. It was last open for one week in September 2016, and before that for one week in August 2012. 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. The application was available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese. Paper applications were not available or accepted.
This waiting list has the following preferences: Homeless, and transition age youth aging out of foster care. Further explanation of each preference can be found here.
30,000 applicants were placed on the waiting list by random lottery, by order of preferences. Applicants can check their waiting list status online here.
For more information, visit the HHA website, or call the office at (713) 260-0500.
Houston, Texas has preferences for: Homeless. Preferences are not required but Section 8 Voucher applicants that meet these criteria will be moved up the waiting list.
Houston, Texas Section 8 Voucher Waiting List is managed by Houston Housing Authority.
Houston Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 21,114 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Houston, Texas.
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.
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.
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 Houston Housing Authority.
At the start of 2024, Houston Housing Authority was managing 18,741 Section 8 vouchers. Of the total number of vouchers managed, there were 17,429 households with a voucher. This represents 93% of the total voucher allotment for Houston Housing Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 42,833 people living in households with a Section 8 voucher issued by Houston Housing Authority, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 17,429 households with a Section 8 voucher at the start of 2024 waited on average 55 months to receive their voucher. Of those voucher-holding households, 1,569 got their voucher in the last year. This represents 9 percent of voucher holders with vouchers issued by Houston 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 Houston Housing Authority Section 8 HCV program that this waiting list covers had 93% of its vouchers utilized by households with 7% unutilized at the start of 2024. This means that 1312 Section 8 vouchers out of a total of 18,741 were in processing at the time HUD reported the data.
Of the 17,429 Section 8 voucher-holding households with the Houston Housing Authority, 8,433 have at least one child. There are 375 two-parent households in the Houston Housing Authority voucher program, and 8,059 single-parent households. There were 7,871 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Houston Housing Authority Section 8 Voucher holders is $16,337 The average annual income per person is $6,750 The average voucher holder earns 21% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 1,743 | 10% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 1,743 | 10% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 6,274 | 36% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 2,091 | 12% |
| $20,000+ | 5,752 | 33% |
Of all voucher holders, 5,622 (30%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 0 (0%) voucher-holding households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 11,057 (59%) 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 Houston Housing Authority Section 8 program, the federal government is providing, on average, $1,033 per month to each household, for an average annual cost of $12,396. The program as a whole is paying landlords $18,004,157 per month, for an annual economic benefit to landlords of $216,049,884
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the Section 8 tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Houston Housing Authority Section 8 HCV programs, the average family expenditure is $424 per month or $5,088 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $7,389,896 per month, which is $88,678,752 per year.
The average total rent paid to Section 8 landlords is $1,457 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 $237 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 18,741 households with a Section 8 voucher, 5,054 (29%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 5,577 (32%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 6,797 (39%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 24% of Housing Choice Voucher recipients are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
95% of Houston 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 | 349 | 2% |
| Black Non-Hispanic | 15,163 | 87% |
| Native American/Alaskan | 0 | 0% |
| White Non-Hispanic | 871 | 5% |
| Black Hispanic | 349 | 2% |
| White Hispanic | 871 | 5% |
| Other Hispanic | 0 | 0% |
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 174 | 1% |
| 25-50/td> | 9,237 | 53% |
| 51-61 | 3,486 | 20% |
| 62-84 | 4,183 | 24% |
| 85 or Older | 174 | 1% |
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.Patti Lynn Druin says:
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