Seattle Housing Authority: Section 8 Waiting List Open (September 2026)

What we found

Housing Choice Voucher application is ongoing; families and individuals may apply at any time by registering in the SHA Portal. Applying gives a chance at a voucher when one becomes available, not a guaranteed place in line. Questions: 206-239-1674.

This comes from the authority's own site, which we read on September 19, 2026. Housing authorities open and close lists with little notice, so read that page yourself before you rely on this.

How to apply

• Where: the official application page. Apply only through the housing authority itself.
• Questions: call 206-239-1674.
• Cost: free. Anyone charging a fee to apply, to hold a place in line or to "guarantee" a voucher is not the housing authority.

After you apply, keep your contact details current with the authority. A missed letter or email is the most common way people fall off a waiting list.

Other waiting lists in the Seattle, WA area

We track 4 Housing Choice Voucher waiting lists in the Seattle, WA area. When we checked in September 2026: 2 open, 2 closed. Also taking applications: Tacoma Housing Authority. Every list we track there, with phone numbers and status, is on the Seattle, WA Section 8 page.

Who can apply

You do not have to live in the Seattle, WA area to apply. If you did not live in the authority's area when you applied, it can require you to rent there for the first 12 months before you move the voucher elsewhere (24 CFR 982.353). Many authorities also give local residents a preference, which moves them up the list.

Income limits and what a voucher pays depend on the county. See Section 8 in Seattle, WA for the rent figures in this area.

If the list closes before you apply

A list that is open today can close next week. If this one has closed by the time you read this, three things still work.

First, check which Section 8 waiting lists are open now: we recheck every list we track and date each entry. Second, sign up for the waiting list alert on the Seattle, WA page, and we will email you when a list in the area opens. Third, apply to more than one authority. Being on several lists improves your odds, and nothing limits how many you can join.

Already have a voucher?

Then you do not need a waiting list. Search apartments from landlords who accept vouchers on VoucherMatch.