Renting With a Section 8 Voucher in Strawberry Mansion, Philadelphia: 2026 Guide
Quick answerIn Strawberry Mansion, North Philadelphia, a Philadelphia Housing Authority voucher is measured against the Group 2 payment standards that PHA assigns to ZIP code 19121. As of October 8, 2026, those are $1,390 a month for a one-bedroom voucher, $1,660 for two bedrooms and $1,990 for three. A higher rent passes only if the family's share stays within 40% of adjusted monthly income. Active Section 8 listings in Strawberry Mansion on VoucherMatch right now: 2.
Last checked: October 8, 2026, against PHA's payment standard schedule (effective November 1, 2025), Administrative Plan (effective January 1, 2026), move-in guide, FAQ and owner pages, 24 CFR 982.507 and 982.508, City of Philadelphia pages, the Lower North District plan memoranda, SEPTA's stop lists and Census ACS 2020-2024 tables.
- $1,660PHA two-bedroom payment standard in ZIP code 19121 (Group 2)
- $1,420the two-bedroom standard one group down, in ZIP code 19132
- 28%share of adjusted monthly income a PHA household of one or two pays
- 68%share of occupied homes in ZIP code 19121 that are rented, Census ACS 2020-2024
- EightSEPTA bus routes with stops within about 650 metres of VoucherMatch's map point
- 2active Section 8 listings in Strawberry Mansion on VoucherMatch right now
The rent figure to use for a Strawberry Mansion proposal
For an address in 19121, use the Group 2 column of PHA's schedule at your voucher size. VoucherMatch's Philadelphia data lists Strawberry Mansion, Brewerytown and Sharswood under 19121, and the neighborhoods to the north under 19132, which PHA places in Group 1.
Philadelphia Section 8 payment standards for 2026 in 19121 and 19132
View the data table
| Voucher size | Group 1 (19132) | Group 2 (19121, Strawberry Mansion) | Group 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,100 | $1,280 | $1,550 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,190 | $1,390 | $1,690 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,420 | $1,660 | $2,010 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,700 | $1,990 | $2,410 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,900 | $2,220 | $2,690 |
What it means: crossing from 19121 into 19132 lowers the two-bedroom standard by $240.
Source: PHA, Payment Standard Schedule by Neighborhood ZIP Code, effective November 1, 2025; no later schedule appeared on PHA's payment standards page on October 8, 2026.
The size that counts is the one on the voucher. PHA's schedule says a larger unit does not raise the standard, and its utility allowance page says the allowance uses the lower of the voucher size or the unit size. The city-wide ZIP code list is in the Philadelphia payment standards guide.
PHA's Moving to Work rent policy replaces the usual 30% with 28% of adjusted monthly income for households of one or two, 27% for three to five and 26% for six or more. The minimum rent is $50; VASH and Mainstream vouchers remain at 30% (Administrative Plan, chapter 9).
ExampleVoucherMatch's arithmetic, with made-up income. One person with a one-bedroom voucher has $1,100 in adjusted monthly income, so the base payment is $308 (28%). With rent plus utility allowance at $1,390 or less, the tenant pays $308. At $1,480 the tenant pays $398, within the $440 cap (40%). At $1,550 the share would be $468, over the cap, and PHA would not approve.
Two federal rules sit behind this: the 40% limit at move-in (24 CFR 982.508) and rent reasonableness (24 CFR 982.507). See also the utility allowance and two-bedroom figures elsewhere.
Current Strawberry Mansion listings
This table reads VoucherMatch's active Section 8 listings in Strawberry Mansion at page load; it can show none.
| Strawberry Mansion Section 8 listings on VoucherMatch | Right now |
|---|---|
| Active listings | 2 |
| Bedroom mix | One is a 1-bedroom, One is a 3-bedroom |
| Lowest asking rent | $1,150 |
| Median asking rent | $1,570 |
| Highest asking rent | $1,990 |
What it means: compare asking rent plus PHA's utility allowance with the Group 2 figure for your voucher size.
Source: VoucherMatch listings marked as accepting Section 8 in Strawberry Mansion.
- 3BR listed at $1,990, 1.5 bath
- 1BR listed at $1,150, 1 bath
To reach an owner, use the Strawberry Mansion apartment page. The 19121 page lists the whole ZIP code, and the rent analyzer runs one rent.
Compare the actual block and unit
Confirm the ZIP code and the bus routes for each address before comparing rents. The City Planning Commission lists Strawberry Mansion among the neighborhoods of its Lower North District, whose plan was adopted on May 20, 2014. The plan's memoranda give Fairmount Park and the Schuylkill River as the district's western boundary and Lehigh Avenue as its northern one (Lower North plan).
- Renters12,283 of 18,045 occupied homes are rented, about 68% (table B25003).
- Median gross rent$1,187 a month for all sizes and $1,347 for two-bedroom units, utilities included (tables B25064 and B25031).
- Age of housing6,841 of 20,858 homes, about 33%, were built in 1939 or earlier (table B25034).
What it means: 19121 also takes in Brewerytown and Sharswood, and a median covers old leases as well as new ones.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 19121, read through Census Reporter.
SEPTA lines and stops near Strawberry Mansion
Buses serve the area: SEPTA lists no L, B, G or T stop within 1 kilometre of the point VoucherMatch's map uses for Strawberry Mansion. The nearest B (Broad Street Line) station, Susquehanna-Dauphin, is about 2.3 kilometres away.
| SEPTA line | Stops SEPTA lists near the map point | Distance of the nearest stop |
|---|---|---|
| Bus 61 | Ridge Av from 27th St to 32nd St, and at Diamond and Dauphin St | About 130 m |
| Bus 7, 48 and 49 | 29th St from Cecil B. Moore Av to Susquehanna Av | About 180 m |
| Bus 32 | 33rd St from Montgomery Av to Dauphin St | About 370 m |
| Bus 39 | Dauphin St from 27th St to 32nd St | About 480 m |
| Bus 3 | Cecil B. Moore Av from 28th St to 32nd St | About 550 m |
| Bus 54 | 33rd St and Dauphin St loop | About 620 m |
| G (Girard Avenue trolley) | Girard Av at 28th, 29th, 31st and 33rd St | About 1,370 m |
What it means: the Planning Commission's 2014 memoranda said the same, that the district's west side has bus service only.
Source: SEPTA's stop lists by route, read October 8, 2026, and its Metro naming page. Distances are VoucherMatch's straight-line calculation from SEPTA's stop coordinates, not travel times.
_just_south_of_Diamond_Street_in_Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania.jpg){kind=link}
From a Strawberry Mansion viewing to a signed lease
Nothing is final until PHA has inspected the unit and approved the rent. Its guide estimates about 30 days from the owner's request to lease signing.
- 1Know your datesa PHA voucher starts with a 120-day term. A written request filed before it runs out can bring up to 60 more days.
- 2Test the rentadd the utility allowance, compare with Group 2 at your voucher size, and apply the 40% limit if it is over.
- 3Check the owner's standingPHA requires its certification class, an Owner Portal account and a current Philadelphia rental license.
- 4Request for Tenancy Approvalthe owner sends it through the Owner Portal with your signed tenant sections. The voucher term pauses until PHA gives a written answer.
- 5InspectionPHA generally schedules it within three business days of the request. After a failure the owner has 15 business days to repair and request a second visit.
- 6Rent reviewPHA checks the rent against unassisted units and the 40% limit, and tries to negotiate if it fails.
- 7Leasesign and pay a deposit only after PHA issues the Initial Rent Letter. The first term is two years.
What it means: a failed re-inspection means a new request for a different unit, so keep other addresses in view.
Source: PHA's Administrative Plan (sections 7.7 to 7.9, 12.7, 13.13, 14.4), move-in guide and landlord steps.
- Your voucher: bedroom size and expiration date
- The Group 2 and Group 1 figures for that size, and the address's ZIP code
- Adjusted monthly income, to work out the 40% limit
- Two questions: which utilities are the tenant's, and is the rental license current?
- A check for working smoke detectors, sound paint and no water stains, per PHA's guide
Under City rules the owner must give the tenant a Certificate of Rental Suitability before move-in (City of Philadelphia). See the inspection checklist.
Widen the search without copying a budget
Two neighbours keep the Group 2 figures; the two to the north, in 19132, drop to Group 1.
| Neighborhood | Section 8 listings | ZIP code in VoucherMatch's data | PHA group and two-bedroom standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewerytown | Brewerytown | 19121 | Group 2, $1,660 |
| Sharswood | Sharswood | 19121 | Group 2, $1,660 |
| North Central | North Central | 19132 | Group 1, $1,420 |
| Allegheny West | Allegheny West | 19132 | Group 1, $1,420 |
What it means: a lower standard means the 40% test applies at a lower rent. Every neighborhood is on the Philadelphia Section 8 apartments page.
Source: PHA's schedule for the groups; VoucherMatch's Philadelphia neighborhood data for the ZIP codes.
Application and move questions
What is the Strawberry Mansion ZIP code?
VoucherMatch's Philadelphia data gives 19121, shared with Brewerytown and Sharswood, and PHA lists 19121 in Group 2. A listing to the north may show 19132, a Group 1 ZIP code, so go by the address.
Is a two-bedroom HUD figure for 19121 automatically a PHA rent offer?
No. HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rent is the data PHA builds its groups from; the figure PHA uses is its own Group 2 standard, $1,660 for two bedrooms. The rent offered also depends on PHA's market comparison and the household's income.
Does public housing have its own ZIP code amounts, as in Chicago?
Not on this schedule. PHA's ZIP code groups apply to tenant-based vouchers; PHA says its project-based programs use city-wide Fair Market Rents instead. Chicago's housing authority sets its own, which this page does not cover.
Can a landlord in Strawberry Mansion reject Section 8?
Philadelphia's Fair Practices Ordinance prohibits landlords from discriminating on source of income, which includes rental assistance. Complaints go to the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, (215) 686-4670 (City of Philadelphia). Ordinary tenant screening remains lawful.
Is the PHA voucher wait list open?
No. PHA's FAQ states that the Housing Choice Voucher wait list is closed. See the Philadelphia Section 8 guide for the agency and open waiting lists for other places.
Next step: confirm whether an address is in 19121 or 19132, then compare the Strawberry Mansion listings with your voucher size. PHA's customer line is 215-684-4300.
Sources for this article (14)
- Payment Standard Schedule by Neighborhood ZIP Code (pha.phila.gov)
- payment standards page (pha.phila.gov)
- utility allowance page (pha.phila.gov)
- Administrative Plan (pha.phila.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.508 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.507 (ecfr.gov)
- Lower North plan (phila2035.org)
- Census Reporter (censusreporter.org)
- stop lists by route (www3.septa.org)
- Metro naming page (wwww.septa.org)
- move-in guide (pha.phila.gov)
- landlord steps (pha.phila.gov)
- City of Philadelphia (phila.gov)
- City of Philadelphia (phila.gov)
Stay Updated on Housing
Get the latest on fair market rents, voucher programs, and finding housing.
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe anytime.
VoucherMatch Editorial Team
Every rule, date and dollar amount in this article is checked against the agency document it comes from, and the sources are listed above. How VoucherMatch articles are researched and corrected
Find apartments
Listings on VoucherMatch come from landlords who say up front which vouchers they accept.
Related Articles
Renting With a Section 8 Voucher in Carroll Park, Philadelphia: 2026 Guide
Section 8 in Carroll Park, Philadelphia: PHA puts ZIP 19139 in Group 2, $1,660 for a two-bedroom voucher. The 40% rule, SEPTA stops and live listings.
3 min readRenting With a Section 8 Voucher in Kensington, Philadelphia: 2026 Guide
Section 8 in Kensington, Philadelphia: PHA Group 2 in ZIP 19134, $1,660 for a two-bedroom voucher; other ZIPs differ. L stations and live listings.
3 min readRenting With a Section 8 Voucher in Paschall, Philadelphia: 2026 Guide
Section 8 in Paschall, Philadelphia: PHA payment standards 2026 for ZIP 19142 (Group 2, $1,660 two-bedroom), the 40% rule, trolley stops and live listings.
3 min readDelaware centralized waiting list: Open to Applications (September 2026)
Delaware centralized waiting list was accepting Section 8 voucher applications when we checked on September 19, 2026. How to apply, the official source, and what to do if the list closes.
3 min readHow Much Section 8 Pays in Philadelphia (2026)
Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) payment standards by ZIP group: a 2-bedroom runs $1,420 (Group 1) to $2,720 (Group 5), plus the tenant share and 2027.
11 min readSection 8 Voucher Extension Request Letter: 3 Samples
Section 8 voucher extension request letter samples, the federal rule in 24 CFR 982.303, and what six housing agencies allow, require and set as a deadline.
9 min read