Complete Guide to Section 8 & Public Housing in Florida
Florida has 97 housing authorities managing a combined 587 waiting lists across Section 8 (HCV), Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher programs. Currently, 147 of those lists are accepting applications — an open rate of approximately 25%. This data was last verified on Oct 5, 2026.
Those agencies administer roughly 156,451 assisted housing units statewide — 25,245 public housing units and 131,206 Housing Choice Vouchers, across 48 counties. Income limits are set by HUD per county or metro area, so eligibility thresholds differ between agencies within Florida.
The affordable housing programs tracked in Florida include Public Housing (19 open), Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) (4 open), Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) (14 open), Mainstream (3 open), RAD (1 open), VASH (2 open). 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 Florida right now are Brooksville (34), Clearwater (10), Sanford (10), Largo (10), and Dade City (7) . 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: Housing Authority of the County of Flagler — Public Housing (closes Oct 19, 2026)
Eligibility Requirements for Florida
To qualify for assistance in Florida, applicants must meet specific income and household criteria set by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.
- 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 Florida legal notices, government press releases, and PHA portal updates. Every listing is cross-referenced with Florida Housing Finance Corporation to ensure that families receive accurate information for low-income programs.