Complete Guide to Section 8 & Public Housing in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 85 housing authorities managing a combined 366 waiting lists across Section 8 (HCV), Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher programs. Currently, 181 of those lists are accepting applications — an open rate of approximately 49%. This data was last verified on Oct 5, 2026.
Those agencies administer roughly 159,481 assisted housing units statewide — 58,874 public housing units and 100,607 Housing Choice Vouchers, across 60 counties. Income limits are set by HUD per county or metro area, so eligibility thresholds differ between agencies within Pennsylvania.
The affordable housing programs tracked in Pennsylvania include Public Housing (58 open), Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) (21 open), Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) (19 open), Mainstream (6 open), RAD (1 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 Pennsylvania right now are York (12), Sharon (11), Uniontown (7), Bloomsburg (7), and Easton (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: Clearfield County Housing Authority — Public Housing
Eligibility Requirements for Pennsylvania
To qualify for assistance in Pennsylvania, applicants must meet specific income and household criteria set by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA).
- 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 Pennsylvania legal notices, government press releases, and PHA portal updates. Every listing is cross-referenced with Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) to ensure that families receive accurate information for low-income programs.