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Section 8 Eligibility

Eligibility is set by income, household composition, and citizenship status.

Income limits (AMI tiers)

Tier% of AMIRole
Extremely Low≤30%Counts toward the 75% preference
Very Low≤50%Classic "very low income" target
Low≤80%Maximum for voucher eligibility
Above 80%>80%Not eligible

The 75% rule

At least 75% of a PHA's new vouchers each year must go to households at or below 30% of AMI. This is why very low-income families are prioritized.

Other requirements

  • Citizenship or eligible immigration status for household members
  • Not subject to a lifetime sex-offender registry bar
  • Pass screening for drug-related or violent criminal activity (PHA discretion)

Check your tier

Use the Income Limits tool to see the 30/50/80% AMI figures for your county and household size.

Independent estimate — not HUD or PHA advice. voucherfig provides calculations from official HUD FY2026 data for planning purposes only. Your local Public Housing Agency (PHA) sets the actual payment standard, utility allowance, deductions, and eligibility, and may apply local preferences. Always confirm with your PHA before making housing decisions.

Statutory Provenance & Fact-Checking Standards

✓ Verified HUD FY2026 FMR Rules

Maintained under the editorial review of Raymond Vance, MSW (HUD Section 8 Housing Specialist). All calculation algorithms are calibrated against statutory federal regulations:24 CFR § 982.503 (Voucher Payment Standards),24 CFR § 982.505 (HAP Calculation),HUD Handbook 7420.10G, andFY2026 County-Level Fair Market Rent (FMR) Datasets (89 FR 73400).

Dataset status: 2026-10-19 · Data classification: U.S. Federal Government Work (Public Domain) · Independent non-governmental reference engine.
📚 Academic & Policy Citation (APA 7th Edition)
VoucherFig Housing Policy Group. (2026). U.S. 3,143-County Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher & Fair Market Rent Analysis System (FY2026 ed.). VoucherFig. https://voucherfig.com