Complete Guide to Section 8 & Public Housing in North Carolina
North Carolina has 123 housing authorities managing a combined 548 waiting lists across Section 8 (HCV), Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher programs. Currently, 175 of those lists are accepting applications — an open rate of approximately 32%. This data was last verified on Oct 5, 2026.
Those agencies administer roughly 97,595 assisted housing units statewide — 24,455 public housing units and 73,140 Housing Choice Vouchers, across 72 counties. Income limits are set by HUD per county or metro area, so eligibility thresholds differ between agencies within North Carolina.
The affordable housing programs tracked in North Carolina include Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) (14 open), Public Housing (67 open), Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) (23 open), Mainstream (1 open), RAD (3 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 North Carolina right now are Statesville (20), Burlington (9), Williamston (7), Wilson (6), and Greenville (5) . 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: Lexington Housing Authority — PBV (closes Nov 13, 2026)
Eligibility Requirements for North Carolina
To qualify for assistance in North Carolina, applicants must meet specific income and household criteria set by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA).
- 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 North Carolina legal notices, government press releases, and PHA portal updates. Every listing is cross-referenced with North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) to ensure that families receive accurate information for low-income programs.