Complete Guide to Section 8 & Public Housing in South Carolina
South Carolina has 42 housing authorities managing a combined 227 waiting lists across Section 8 (HCV), Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher programs. Currently, 116 of those lists are accepting applications — an open rate of approximately 51%. This data was last verified on Oct 5, 2026.
Those agencies administer roughly 42,531 assisted housing units statewide — 11,865 public housing units and 30,666 Housing Choice Vouchers, across 28 counties. Income limits are set by HUD per county or metro area, so eligibility thresholds differ between agencies within South Carolina.
The affordable housing programs tracked in South Carolina include Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) (7 open), Public Housing (24 open), Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) (8 open), Mainstream (3 open), RAD (4 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 South Carolina right now are Columbia (41), Florence (18), North Charleston (8), Myrtle Beach (5), and Easley (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: Housing Authority of the City of Cayce — PBV (closes Sep 16, 2026)
Eligibility Requirements for South Carolina
To qualify for assistance in South Carolina, applicants must meet specific income and household criteria set by the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority.
- 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 South Carolina legal notices, government press releases, and PHA portal updates. Every listing is cross-referenced with South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority to ensure that families receive accurate information for low-income programs.