Analysis by Nathan Brunet
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) 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.
For more information, visit the LACDA website.
Los Angeles County, California Section 8 Voucher Waiting List is managed by Los Angeles County Development Authority.
Los Angeles County Development Authority provides affordable housing for up to 28,138 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Los Angeles County, California. Service does not extend to Baldwin Park, Service does not extend to Burbank, Service does not extend to Compton, Service does not extend to Culver City, Service does not extend to Glendale, Service does not extend to Hawaiian Gardens, Service does not extend to Hawthorne, Service does not extend to Inglewood, Service does not extend to Long Beach, Service does not extend to Los Angeles, Service does not extend to Norwalk, Service does not extend to Pasadena, Service does not extend to Pico Rivera, Service does not extend to Pomona, Service does not extend to Redondo Beach, Service does not extend to Santa Monica, Service does not extend to South Gate, Service does not extend to Torrance, California.
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 Los Angeles County Development Authority.
At the start of 2024, Los Angeles County Development Authority was managing 27,077 Section 8 vouchers. Of the total number of vouchers managed, there were 23,828 households with a voucher. This represents 88% of the total voucher allotment for Los Angeles County Development Authority.
According to HUD, there is a total of 57,094 people living in households with a Section 8 voucher issued by Los Angeles County Development Authority, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 23,828 households with a Section 8 voucher at the start of 2024 waited on average 29 months to receive their voucher. Of those voucher-holding households, 2,144 got their voucher in the last year. This represents 9 percent of voucher holders with vouchers issued by Los Angeles County Development 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 Los Angeles County Development Authority Section 8 HCV program that this waiting list covers had 88% of its vouchers utilized by households with 12% unutilized at the start of 2024. This means that 3249 Section 8 vouchers out of a total of 27,077 were in processing at the time HUD reported the data.
Of the 23,828 Section 8 voucher-holding households with the Los Angeles County Development Authority, 8,394 have at least one child. There are 812 two-parent households in the Los Angeles County Development Authority voucher program, and 7,582 single-parent households. There were 7,852 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Los Angeles County Development Authority Section 8 Voucher holders is $20,829 The average annual income per person is $9,517 The average voucher holder earns 20% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 2,144 | 9% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 1,191 | 5% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 8,578 | 36% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 2,859 | 12% |
| $20,000+ | 9,055 | 38% |
Of all voucher holders, 6,228 (23%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 4,603 (17%) voucher-holding households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 15,163 (56%) 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 Los Angeles County Development Authority Section 8 program, the federal government is providing, on average, $1,714 per month to each household, for an average annual cost of $20,568. The program as a whole is paying landlords $40,841,192 per month, for an annual economic benefit to landlords of $490,094,304
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the Section 8 tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Los Angeles County Development Authority Section 8 HCV programs, the average family expenditure is $544 per month or $6,528 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $12,962,432 per month, which is $155,549,184 per year.
The average total rent paid to Section 8 landlords is $2,258 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 $127 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 27,077 households with a Section 8 voucher, 10,008 (42%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 7,148 (30%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 6,672 (28%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 20% of Housing Choice Voucher recipients are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
87% of Los Angeles County Development 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 | 1,906 | 8% |
| Black Non-Hispanic | 10,961 | 46% |
| Native American/Alaskan | 238 | 1% |
| White Non-Hispanic | 3,098 | 13% |
| Black Hispanic | 238 | 1% |
| White Hispanic | 7,148 | 30% |
| Other Hispanic | 238 | 1% |
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 477 | 2% |
| 25-50/td> | 9,293 | 39% |
| 51-61 | 5,242 | 22% |
| 62-84 | 7,863 | 33% |
| 85 or Older | 1,191 | 5% |
Only submit truthful information.
Submitting false information can disqualify the household from assistance, and may land the applicant in legal trouble.Tamisha Smith says:
"Affordable Housing Online is very informative, and the emails with updates are so convenient."