Complete Guide to Section 8 & Public Housing in Arkansas
Arkansas has 127 housing authorities managing a combined 468 waiting lists across Section 8 (HCV), Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher programs. Currently, 220 of those lists are accepting applications — an open rate of approximately 47%. This data was last verified on Oct 5, 2026.
Those agencies administer roughly 39,258 assisted housing units statewide — 10,534 public housing units and 28,724 Housing Choice Vouchers, across 62 counties. Income limits are set by HUD per county or metro area, so eligibility thresholds differ between agencies within Arkansas.
The affordable housing programs tracked in Arkansas include Public Housing (101 open), Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) (60 open), Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) (8 open), RAD (3 open), Mainstream (1 open), VASH. Each program has its own eligibility criteria, application process, and wait times. In most cases, applicants can apply to multiple program types at the same housing authority, and there is no limit to the number of housing authorities you can apply to statewide.
The cities with the most open waitlists in Arkansas right now are Lake City (18), Pocahontas (14), Warren (10), McGehee (6), and Clarksville (4) . Applicants who are flexible about location will generally receive assistance sooner than those who apply to a single waitlist in a high-demand area.
Latest opening: Lonoke County Housing Authority — HCV
Eligibility Requirements for Arkansas
To qualify for assistance in Arkansas, applicants must meet specific income and household criteria set by the Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA).
- Income: Below HUD local limits
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen or eligible legal status
- Background: Criminal background check required
- Residency: Preferences often given to locals
Real-Time Data Verification
Section 8 Waitlist aggregates data from official Arkansas legal notices, government press releases, and PHA portal updates. Every listing is cross-referenced with Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA) to ensure that families receive accurate information for low-income programs.