Analysis by Nathan Brunet
Last Updated: February, 23rd 2024
The Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (MDHCD) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is currently open until further notice.
To apply, download and print the application online.
Once the application has been completed, it must be mailed or hand delivered to one of the agencies listed on Page 2 of the application.
This waiting list has the following preferences for applicants with income that is more than 30% of the Area Median Income: Involuntarily displaced by fire, natural disaster, government action, domestic violence, landlord action, having a disability, or result of witnessing a crime; living in substandard housing; homeless; paying more than 50% of income towards rent for more than 90 days. Applicants with income less than 30% of the Area Median Income do not have preferences.
For more information, visit the MDHCD website, or call the office at (617)-573-1150
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The application may be printed out from http://www.mass.gov/hed/docs/dhcd/ph/rentalapplications/sec8app.pdf.
State of Massachusetts has preferences for: Displaced by Natural Disaster, Victims of Domestic Violence, Homeless, Displaced by Government Action, Live in Substandard Housing, Rent Burdened. Preferences are not required but Section 8 Voucher applicants that meet these criteria will be moved up the waiting list.
State of Massachusetts Section 8 Voucher Waiting List is managed by Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development provides affordable housing for up to 22,392 low- and moderate-income households through its public housing programs.
This housing agency serves Barnstable County, Berkshire County, Bristol County, Dukes County, Essex County, Franklin County, Hampden County, Hampshire County, Middlesex County, Nantucket County, Norfolk County, Plymouth County, Suffolk County, Worcester County, Massachusetts.
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 can apply for a waiting list that is open until further notice while it stays open for an unknown period of time. Usually, the housing authority is accepting applications until the waiting list closes, but some of these waiting lists never close.
To print out an application, a paper form must be printed from a device that is connected to the internet. This document is usually in the form of a .doc, docx, or .pdf. The application must be completed and sent back to the housing authority according to their instructions.
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 Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
At the start of 2024, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development was managing 22,475 Section 8 vouchers. Of the total number of vouchers managed, there were 21,576 households with a voucher. This represents 96% of the total voucher allotment for Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
According to HUD, there is a total of 48,052 people living in households with a Section 8 voucher issued by Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, with the average number of people per household being 2.
The 21,576 households with a Section 8 voucher at the start of 2024 waited on average 13 months to receive their voucher. Of those voucher-holding households, 1,295 got their voucher in the last year. This represents 6 percent of voucher holders with vouchers issued by Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
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 Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development Section 8 HCV program that this waiting list covers had 96% of its vouchers utilized by households with 4% unutilized at the start of 2024. This means that 899 Section 8 vouchers out of a total of 22,475 were in processing at the time HUD reported the data.
Of the 21,576 Section 8 voucher-holding households with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, 8,541 have at least one child. There are 450 two-parent households in the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development voucher program, and 8,091 single-parent households. There were 7,866 households with children with a female head of household.
The average annual household income for Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development Section 8 Voucher holders is $20,311 The average annual income per person is $9,484 The average voucher holder earns 19% of the local Area Median Income.
| Annual Income Range ($) | Number of Households | % of Vouchers |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | 1,079 | 5% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 | 2,158 | 10% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 | 7,336 | 34% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 | 3,452 | 16% |
| $20,000+ | 7,767 | 36% |
Of all voucher holders, 6,293 (28%) receive the majority of their income from wages and/or business. 2,697 (12%) voucher-holding households receive the majority of their income from welfare programs like TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance. 13,036 (58%) 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 Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development Section 8 program, the federal government is providing, on average, $1,002 per month to each household, for an average annual cost of $12,024. The program as a whole is paying landlords $21,619,152 per month, for an annual economic benefit to landlords of $259,429,824
HUD refers to the portion of rent paid by the Section 8 tenant as the Total Tenant Payment, or Family Expenditure.
For the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development Section 8 HCV programs, the average family expenditure is $335 per month or $4,020 per year. The combined payment from all tenants in the program is $7,227,960 per month, which is $86,735,520 per year.
The average total rent paid to Section 8 landlords is $1,337 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 $151 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 22,475 households with a Section 8 voucher, 6,904 (32%) live in a studio or one-bedroom unit, 7,552 (35%) rent a 2-bedroom rental home and 7,120 (33%) have a 3-bedroom or larger rental. 21% of Housing Choice Voucher recipients are overhoused with more bedrooms than people in the household.
62% of Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development 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 | 432 | 2% |
| Black Non-Hispanic | 5,394 | 25% |
| Native American/Alaskan | 216 | 1% |
| White Non-Hispanic | 8,199 | 38% |
| Black Hispanic | 647 | 3% |
| White Hispanic | 6,257 | 29% |
| Other Hispanic | 432 | 2% |
| Age Range of Head of Household | Number of Households | % of Households |
|---|---|---|
| Under 24 | 432 | 2% |
| 25-50/td> | 9,278 | 43% |
| 51-61 | 5,610 | 26% |
| 62-84 | 6,257 | 29% |
| 85 or Older | 216 | 1% |
Stay in contact with the housing agency after applying.
While on a waiting list, always keep your information up to date. If you get selected for housing, the agency needs to know how to reach you!Rufus W. Bailey says:
"Affordable Housing Online is very effective and useful, and helpful."
