Renting With a Section 8 Voucher in Prescott, Oakland: 2026 Guide
Quick answerIn Prescott, West Oakland, as of October 8, 2026, a Section 8 voucher from the Oakland Housing Authority (OHA) is measured against one citywide payment standard per unit size: $2,912 for a two-bedroom under OHA's "Voucher Payment Standards – 2027", effective October 1, 2026. ZIP code 94607 has no separate OHA figure. Active Prescott listings on VoucherMatch right now: 1.
Last checked: October 8, 2026, against OHA's payment standards, contracting and move-in inspection pages and its Administrative Plan (draft updated February 2025), the City of Oakland's Rent Adjustment Program pages and notices, the California Civil Rights Department's source-of-income documents, BART's West Oakland station page, AC Transit's line list, a City notice on the West Oakland Specific Plan and Census 2020-2024 estimates.
- $2,912OHA two-bedroom payment standard, citywide, effective October 1, 2026
- $2,385OHA one-bedroom payment standard
- 60 to 180 daysrange OHA's plan sets for the initial voucher term
- 40%most of adjusted monthly income a family may pay at first lease-up when the rent is over the standard
- 1active listings in Prescott on VoucherMatch right now
- 69.9%share of occupied homes in ZIP code 94607 that are rented, 2020-2024
What the 2026 Payment Standards Actually Mean for ZIP 94607
They mean one thing for a Prescott address: OHA's citywide schedule applies, because OHA does not set standards by ZIP code.
View the data table
| Unit size | OHA payment standard |
|---|---|
| Studio | $2,142 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,385 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,912 |
| 3 bedrooms | $3,724 |
| 4 bedrooms | $4,413 |
What it means: the $2,450 two-bedroom figure this page used to show was a HUD ZIP-level number, not OHA's standard.
Source: Oakland Housing Authority, Voucher Payment Standards & Utility Allowances, "Voucher Payment Standards – 2027". OHA says they are set at 103 percent of HUD's Fair Market Rent for a studio and 104 percent for one bedroom and above, and that all prior versions are no longer in effect.
For anyone searching "Oakland Section 8 payment standard 2026" or "Oakland Housing Authority payment standards 2026": the schedule in force since October 1, 2026 is the one above. OHA applies the lower of the standard for your voucher size and the standard for the unit's size.
Watch outOHA is a Moving to Work agency, and its plan lets it adopt alternate standards or exception "hubs" for parts of the city. The page read today lists one schedule and no hubs. HUD's ZIP-level data for 94607 is a benchmark only.
Your share follows federal rules. You pay about 30% of adjusted monthly income (24 CFR 982.515). If rent plus utilities is over the standard you pay the excess, up to 40% of adjusted income at first lease-up (24 CFR 982.508), and the rent must be reasonable (24 CFR 982.507).
ExampleVoucherMatch's example, with made-up figures. A two-bedroom apartment asks $2,900 and the tenant pays gas heat, gas cooking and lighting: $56, $10 and $78 in OHA's allowances. Gross rent is $3,044, $132 over the standard. A family with $2,000 in adjusted monthly income has a $600 base share and an $800 limit; its share is $732, which passes.
See how much Section 8 pays for a 2-bedroom and how the utility allowance works.
What's Available in Prescott Right Now
The table below is live: it reads VoucherMatch's active listings in Prescott when the page loads, and it can show none.
| Prescott listings on VoucherMatch | Right now |
|---|---|
| Active listings | 1 |
| Bedroom mix | One is a 2-bedroom |
| Median asking rent | $2,912 |
What it means: this is an asking rent, not a rent OHA has approved. Add the utility allowance, then compare the total with the row for that unit's size, or enter one rent in the rent analyzer.
Source: VoucherMatch listings in Prescott.
- 2BR listed at $2,912, 1 bath
Contact details are on the Prescott apartment page.
Where Prescott is and how to get around
Prescott is in West Oakland, in ZIP code 94607, and VoucherMatch's map places it around the West Oakland BART station. The City describes its West Oakland Planning Area as generally bounded by Interstate 580 to the north, I-980 to the east and I-880 to the west, with the BART station in its southern portion. No City page read today draws Prescott's own boundary.
| Service | Station or route, as the agency lists it |
|---|---|
| BART | West Oakland Station, 1451 7th Street; four lines, to Dublin/Pleasanton, Antioch, Berryessa/North San Jose, Richmond, Daly City and Millbrae/SFIA |
| AC Transit 14 | West Oakland BART to Fruitvale BART via Wood St. and 14th St. |
| AC Transit 62 | West Oakland BART to Fruitvale BART via 7th St. |
| AC Transit 36 | Rockridge BART to West Oakland BART via 40th St. and Adeline St. |
| AC Transit 22 | Downtown Berkeley to Lakeshore Ave. via Peralta St. and West Oakland BART |
What it means: BART's page says construction at the station is changing parking and access, so check its maps before a viewing.
Source: BART, West Oakland Station; AC Transit, maps and schedules; City of Oakland, notice on the West Oakland Specific Plan, October 2012.
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- Renters69.9% of occupied homes are rented.
- Rentthe median gross rent was $2,014.
- Age51.8% of homes were built in 1979 or earlier.
What it means: the ZIP code is larger than Prescott, and a building's age decides which city rent rule applies.
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey five-year estimates, tables B25003, B25064 and B25034, ZIP Code Tabulation Area 94607; percentages are VoucherMatch's division.
Oakland rent rules that apply alongside a voucher
Oakland limits rent increases in most rentals built before 1983 and requires just cause to evict in more units than that.
| City rule | Covers, per the City of Oakland | Note for a voucher tenancy |
|---|---|---|
| Rent Adjustment Program | Most residential rental units built before 1983 | The allowable annual increase is 2.3% as of August 1, 2026 |
| Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance | Most units, including most built after 1995; ground-up new construction with a Certificate of Occupancy in the last 10 years is exempt | The City's tenant packet says changes in a unit's federal Section 8 status are not good cause for eviction |
What it means: the flyer has a row for "Section 8 voucher/subsidized housing" whose yes and no marks VoucherMatch could not read. Ask the program at 510-238-3721 how a voucher unit is treated.
Source: City of Oakland, Rent Adjustment Program, its RAP Notice and its coverage flyer.
How the Housing Choice Voucher Program Works in Oakland
OHA approves the unit and the rent before payments start, and state law bars refusing an applicant because of a voucher.
- 1Check your clockthe term is printed on your voucher; OHA's plan sets it between 60 and 180 days. Ask for an extension in writing before it expires.
- 2Owner completes the RTAyou give the owner OHA's Request for Tenancy Approval form. Signing it does not commit either of you to a lease.
- 3Return the packetthe RTA, inspection checklist and lead-based paint disclosures go to OHA's RTA scheduling desk. OHA stops your clock while it decides.
- 4One inspection at a timeOHA schedules the move-in inspection once the paperwork is complete.
- 5Inspectionutilities on, repairs done, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors working.
- 6Contractthe unit must pass before payments can begin.
What it means: OHA links an Affordable Housing Provider Portal for owners; VoucherMatch could not open that page today.
Source: OHA, Move-In Inspections and HAP Contracting Process, and section 5-II.E of its Administrative Plan.
- Vouchers are protectedsince January 1, 2020 (SB 329), a housing provider cannot turn an applicant away for using a voucher.
- Income testsa provider may consider only the tenant's portion of the rent when applying an income standard.
- Credit historyas of January 1, 2024 (SB 267), a provider that checks credit must let a subsidy holder offer other verifiable evidence of ability to pay, and must consider it instead.
What it means: an owner may still screen every applicant by lawful criteria, and an owner who lives in the home and rents one room is exempt. Complaints go to the department through its housing page.
Source: California Civil Rights Department, Source of Income FAQ (January 2024) and fact sheet.
- Your voucher, showing the bedroom size and expiration date
- OHA's standard for that size
- Your adjusted monthly income
- Questions: which utilities does the rent include, and when was the building built?
Why Nearby Neighborhoods Are Worth a Look
The same OHA standard applies next door, so a wider search adds listings without changing your figure.
| Listings | Main ZIP code | OHA two-bedroom standard |
|---|---|---|
| McClymonds | 94607 | $2,912 |
| Acorn | 94607 | $2,912 |
Section 8 apartments in Oakland covers the rest of the city, and East Oakland has its own guide: Section 8 in Eastmont.
Waitlists and How to Get on Them
OHA says that when a waiting list opens it announces it publicly and takes pre-applications by lottery. VoucherMatch did not confirm any list's status today; see open waiting lists and the Oakland Section 8 guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 2026 Section 8 payment standards for Prescott, Oakland?
OHA's citywide standards, effective October 1, 2026: $2,142 studio, $2,385 one bedroom, $2,912 two bedrooms, $3,724 three bedrooms and $4,413 four bedrooms.
Can I use my voucher in Prescott if I got it from a different Oakland housing authority?
A voucher from another housing agency can move to Oakland through portability. OHA's plan gives an incoming family a voucher that expires 30 days after the first agency's term, and OHA does not extend it.
What happens if the landlord's asking rent is above the payment standard?
You pay the excess, and OHA can approve the unit only if your share stays within 40% of adjusted monthly income at first lease-up and the rent is reasonable.
Are there Section 8 waitlists open in Oakland right now?
VoucherMatch did not confirm any OHA list's status today. OHA announces openings publicly and selects by lottery.
Is Prescott a good neighborhood to use a Section 8 voucher?
That depends on the unit. The figures that can be checked are OHA's $2,912 two-bedroom standard, the live listings above and the BART and bus lines at West Oakland Station.
Next step: find your unit size in OHA's table, then browse current Section 8 apartments in Prescott or all Oakland voucher listings.
Sources for this article (17)
- Voucher Payment Standards & Utility Allowances (oakha.org)
- 24 CFR 982.515 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.508 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.507 (ecfr.gov)
- West Oakland Station (bart.gov)
- maps and schedules (actransit.org)
- notice on the West Oakland Specific Plan (oaklandca.gov)
- B25003 (data.census.gov)
- Rent Adjustment Program (oaklandca.gov)
- RAP Notice (oaklandca.gov)
- coverage flyer (oaklandca.gov)
- Move-In Inspections (oakha.org)
- HAP Contracting Process (oakha.org)
- Administrative Plan (oakha.org)
- Source of Income FAQ (calcivilrights.ca.gov)
- fact sheet (calcivilrights.ca.gov)
- housing page (calcivilrights.ca.gov)
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