Quick answerThe Gastonia Housing Authority Section 8 (Housing Choice Voucher) waiting list was taking applications on October 8, 2026. The authority's application page for Gaston County, North Carolina read "All waiting lists are currently accepting applications". Applying is free: fill in the three-page paper form and return it by email, mail or the drop box at 340 West Long Avenue. An application is a place on a list, not a voucher.
Last checked: October 8, 2026, against Gastonia Housing Authority's application, waiting list, FAQ, forms and notices pages, its application form, its HCV Administrative Plan (effective June 2, 2025) and its FY 2027 payment standards sheet; HUD's FY 2026 income limits and FY 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents; and 24 CFR 982.204 to 982.207 and 982.353.
- Openstatus on the authority's application page, October 8, 2026
- $0cost to apply
- ghanc.org/apply-for-housingwhere the application form is posted
- 704-349-5149to ask for a form by mail or email
- 704-675-7677automated waiting list position line
- $41,100FY 2026 income limit for one person (50% of area median)
What Gastonia Housing Authority's page says
Gastonia Housing Authority (GHA) showed every list open on October 8, 2026: its Apply For Housing page is headed "All waiting lists are currently accepting applications", above a link to a form dated October 8, 2026.
- One stale lineGHA's separate FAQ page still read "Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is not accepting applications at this time" on the same day, while the application page and the Section 8 page both offered the form. Call 704-349-5149 if in doubt.
- No wait time or closing datenone is published. The plan says GHA "may close the waiting list when the estimated waiting period for housing assistance for applicants on the list reaches 24 months for the most current applicants" (section 4-II.C).
- No walk-insthe Hours page says "GHA's office is not open to the public at this time."
GHA runs the voucher program for all of Gaston County. Lists close with little notice, so read the application page yourself first. How to check any agency is in Is Section 8 Open Right Now?
How to apply
Apply on GHA's paper form, the "Application for Housing Assistance", which GHA posts on its site and takes back by email, mail or drop box. No online portal was found.
- 1Get the formdownload it from ghanc.org/apply-for-housing, take a copy from the drop box at 340 W Long Avenue, or ask for one at reception@ghanc.org or 704-349-5149.
- 2Tick the programmark "Section 8 Housing Choice voucher program". The same form covers GHA's apartment sites.
- 3Complete every sectionuse blue or black ink. The form warns that "Incomplete applications will not be processed, and you will not be notified."
- 4List the household and incomeevery person who will live in the unit, plus expected income for the next 12 months.
- 5Sign and sendscan and email to hcvadmissions@ghanc.org, mail to PO Box 2398, Gastonia, NC 28053, or use the drop box.
- 6Watch the mailan Eligibility Letter means you are on the list. An Ineligibility letter, with the reason, comes "within 4 weeks".
What it means: the date and time a complete form arrives sets your place within your preference group.
Source: GHA application form and Apply For Housing page, read October 8, 2026.
- Names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers for all household members
- A complete mailing address where letters will reach you
- A phone number and email address
- Each working member's employer, hourly rate and weekly hours
- Monthly amounts of benefits such as Social Security, SSI, TANF or child support
- Childcare, disability and medical costs, if any
- Answers on veteran status, accessible-unit needs and criminal history
Key pointGHA says "You do not need to submit any birth certificates, social security cards, income or other verifications with your initial application." Those come later. The form's one exception is child support: it asks for a 12-month printout and any court order.
Watch outApplying is free. Anyone who charges a fee to apply, to hold a place in line or to promise a voucher is not the housing authority. GHA's own fraud page says "Don't pay money to move up on a waiting list", and the Federal Trade Commission's Section 8 alert says "there is no fee to register for a Section 8 waiting list."
Who can apply
A household can apply if its income is at or below HUD's very low-income limit for Gaston County, and it does not need to live there.
| Household size | Very low income (50% of median) | Extremely low income (30%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $41,100 | $24,650 |
| 2 people | $47,000 | $28,200 |
| 3 people | $52,850 | $31,700 |
| 4 people | $58,700 | $35,200 |
| 5 people | $63,400 | $38,680 |
| 6 people | $68,100 | $44,360 |
| 7 people | $72,800 | $50,040 |
| 8 people | $77,500 | $55,720 |
What it means: the 50% column is the ceiling to get in. The table on GHA's application page showed older, lower figures that day, so use the PDF.
Source: HUD, FY 2026 Section 8 income limits, row "Gaston County", and GHA's matching 2026 income limit table ("Effective June 2026"), read October 8, 2026.
- Extremely low income first75% of each year's admissions must fall in the 30% column, so GHA selects those families "ahead of other eligible families on an as-needed basis" (section 4-III.C).
- Single peopleeligible. The plan's definition of family includes "any other single person", and a one-person household is assigned one bedroom (section 5-II.B). See Can a Single Person Get Section 8?
- Citizenshipat least one family member must be a U.S. citizen, national or noncitizen with eligible immigration status (section 3-II.B); see What Disqualifies You From Section 8?
- Living outside Gaston Countyallowed, with a cost. You get one preference point, the lowest tier, and must lease in Gaston County for at least 12 months before moving the voucher (section 10-II.B; 24 CFR 982.353). See How Section 8 Portability Works.
How Gastonia orders the list: preference points, then date and time
GHA ranks applicants by preference points and, inside each point group, "on a first-come, first-served basis according to the date and time their complete application is received".
| Points | Who gets them |
|---|---|
| 5 | RAD Choice Mobility families |
| 4 | Gaston County elderly and disabled families: the head, spouse or co-head is 62 or older or has a disability |
| 3 | Gaston County families with dependent children, or with a disabled family member |
| 2 | Gaston County single-member families |
| 1 | All other families (not Gaston County residents) |
What it means: Gaston County status covers "living, working, or having been hired to work in Gaston County", so a job there earns the same points as an address there.
Source: GHA HCV Administrative Plan, effective June 2, 2025, section 4-III.C.
The plan uses no lottery; federal rules allow either method (24 CFR 982.207). For agencies that draw names at random, see How Section 8 Lotteries Work.
Watch outGHA verifies your preference when your name comes up. If it cannot, its application page says, "your application will be reclassified and placed back on the waiting list in a lower position."
What happens after you apply
After applying you wait, report changes in writing, and answer every GHA letter by its deadline.
- Within 4 weeksan Ineligibility letter if the form was not accepted. An accepted form brings an Eligibility Letter, which "does NOT mean you have been approved for housing assistance."
- About 8 to 12 weekstime GHA says a new application may take to appear on its automated position line, 704-675-7677.
- While waitingreport changes in income or household in writing within 14 days. GHA takes no changes by phone.
- List updatesGHA mails update requests; no written reply within 21 calendar days, or a letter returned with no forwarding address, means removal "without further notice" (section 4-II.F).
- When selecteda first-class letter listing the documents needed, due 14 calendar days from its date (section 4-III.D).
- Briefingrequired before a voucher. Missing two scheduled briefings without approval means denial (section 5-I.B).
- Voucher issuedat least 60 calendar days to find a unit, up to 150 at GHA's discretion, with one automatic 30-day extension on written request while the total stays within 150 days (section 5-II.E).
What it means: the mailing address on file decides whether you stay on the list.
Source: GHA application form, My Waiting List Review Request form and Administrative Plan, sections cited, read October 8, 2026.
TipYour position can drop. GHA's Waiting List page says "it is not uncommon for your position on the waiting list to change (become lower)" as higher-preference applicants join. If the phone line cannot find you, GHA recommends sending another application, which it treats as an update.
GHA's Notices page proposes plan amendments for January 1, 2027 in chapters 3, 5, 6, 7 and 11. Chapter 4, the waiting list chapter, is not among them.
What a Gastonia voucher pays
GHA sets its maximum subsidy, the payment standard, by ZIP code, at 100% or 95% of HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rent.
View the data table
| Bedrooms | 28052 | 28054 | 28056 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,150 | $1,340 | $1,230 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,190 | $1,400 | $1,280 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,300 | $1,520 | $1,390 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,590 | $1,860 | $1,700 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,020 | $2,360 | $2,160 |
What it means: the figure caps rent plus tenant-paid utilities, and a two-bedroom voucher covers $220 more in 28054 than in 28052.
Source: GHA, FY 2027 SAFMRs, Optimized Payment Standards & Average Gross Rents, linked from its Forms page, read October 8, 2026.
Key pointThe sheet covers 20 ZIP codes. Two-bedroom payment standards run from $998 in 28086 (Kings Mountain) to $1,600 in 28012 (Belmont). Its header reads "Effective 10/1/25 for Move-ins 12/1/25 Annual Re-certifications", yet its rents match HUD's FY 2027 Small Area FMRs, which took effect October 1, 2026. Ask GHA which date applies to you.
The plan sets GHA's minimum rent at $0 (section 6-III.B). Compare the metro in How Much Does Section 8 Pay in Charlotte in 2026? and the national two-bedroom comparison.
Other waiting lists in the Charlotte, NC area
VoucherMatch tracks 5 Housing Choice Voucher waiting lists in the Charlotte, NC area. When checked in September 2026: 2 open, 3 closed. Also taking applications: Housing Authority of York (York Housing South Carolina). Every list tracked there, with phone numbers and status, is on the Charlotte, NC Section 8 page.
York applies in person on Tuesdays: see the Housing Authority of York report.
If the list closes before you apply
A list that is open today can close next week, and three things still work if this one has.
- Check the trackersee which Section 8 waiting lists are open now. VoucherMatch rechecks every list it tracks and dates each entry.
- Get an alertsign up for the waiting list alert on the Charlotte, NC page, and VoucherMatch will email you when a list in the area opens.
- Apply elsewhere toobeing on several lists improves your odds, and no limit was found in the waiting list chapter of GHA's plan.
Before reopening a closed list, GHA's plan promises notice "at least 14 calendar days prior to the date applications will first be accepted", in outlets including the Gaston Gazette (section 4-II.C).
Already have a voucher?
Then you do not need a waiting list. Search apartments from landlords who accept vouchers on VoucherMatch.
Questions people ask about the Gastonia Housing Authority waiting list
Is the Gastonia Housing Authority Section 8 waiting list open?
Yes, as of October 8, 2026. GHA's application page read "All waiting lists are currently accepting applications."
Can I apply for Gastonia Section 8 online?
Not through a portal. GHA posts a printable form and accepts it scanned by email at hcvadmissions@ghanc.org, by mail or in its drop box.
How do I check my place on the Gastonia waiting list?
Call GHA's automated position line, 704-675-7677, with your Social Security number and date of birth. Let each prompt finish before entering numbers.
How long is the wait for Section 8 in Gaston County?
GHA publishes no wait time. Its plan allows the list to close once the estimated wait for the newest applicants reaches 24 months.
Next step: print the form, fill in every section, send it the same day, and keep the Eligibility Letter with your other papers.
Sources for this article (13)
- Apply For Housing page (ghanc.org)
- FAQ page (ghanc.org)
- application form (ghanc.org)
- Section 8 alert (consumer.ftc.gov)
- FY 2026 Section 8 income limits (huduser.gov)
- 2026 income limit table (ghanc.org)
- 24 CFR 982.353 (ecfr.gov)
- GHA HCV Administrative Plan (ghanc.org)
- 24 CFR 982.207 (ecfr.gov)
- My Waiting List Review Request form (ghanc.org)
- Notices page (ghanc.org)
- FY 2027 SAFMRs, Optimized Payment Standards & Average Gross Rents (ghanc.org)
- FY 2027 Small Area FMRs (huduser.gov)
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