Complete Guide to Section 8 & Public Housing in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has 115 housing authorities managing a combined 515 waiting lists across Section 8 (HCV), Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher programs. Currently, 255 of those lists are accepting applications — an open rate of approximately 50%. This data was last verified on Oct 5, 2026.
Those agencies administer roughly 44,939 assisted housing units statewide — 9,973 public housing units and 34,966 Housing Choice Vouchers, across 58 counties. Income limits are set by HUD per county or metro area, so eligibility thresholds differ between agencies within Wisconsin.
The affordable housing programs tracked in Wisconsin include Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) (38 open), Public Housing (82 open), Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) (23 open), Mainstream (4 open), RAD (1 open), VASH (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 Wisconsin right now are Madison (22), Superior (17), Altoona (14), Juneau (14), and Appleton (11) . 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: Wisconsin Rapids Housing Authority — PBV
Eligibility Requirements for Wisconsin
To qualify for assistance in Wisconsin, applicants must meet specific income and household criteria set by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA).
- 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 Wisconsin legal notices, government press releases, and PHA portal updates. Every listing is cross-referenced with Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) to ensure that families receive accurate information for low-income programs.