Section 8 vs. Public Housing vs. Project-Based: Differences
Quick answerIn the United States, as of October 2026, a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher pays part of the rent to a private landlord and moves with the family. Public housing is an apartment the housing agency owns. Project-based help comes in two kinds, a project-based voucher and a project-based Section 8 contract, and both stay with the building. All four start rent from the same formula, about 30% of adjusted income.
- 4arrangements people call "Section 8" or "HUD housing"
- 30%of monthly adjusted income, the usual rent in each
- 40%of adjusted income, the ceiling when a voucher family first leases a unit above the payment standard
- 1 yearin a project-based voucher unit before a family may ask for a voucher that moves
- 2,364,622tenant-based voucher units on December 31, 2025
- 848,351public housing units on the same date
The three programs at a glance
HUD pays for rental help in three ways: a voucher the family carries, an apartment the housing agency owns, and a subsidy attached to a building. The third comes in two versions, so the table has four columns.
| Housing Choice Voucher (tenant-based) | Public housing | Project-based voucher (PBV) | Project-based Section 8 (PBRA) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal rules | 24 CFR part 982 | Parts 960 and 966 | Part 983 | Part 880 and related parts |
| Who owns the unit (982.1, 983.5, 880.201) | A private owner the family finds | The housing agency | An owner under contract with the housing agency | A private owner, or sometimes a housing agency, under a contract with HUD or its contract administrator |
| Who signs the lease with you (966.4, 983.256) | The owner, with HUD's tenancy addendum attached | The housing agency | The owner, with HUD's PBV tenancy addendum attached | The owner or manager |
| Income limit to get in (982.201, 960.201, 960.202, 5.653) | Very low income (50% of area median), with narrow exceptions. 75% of admissions go to extremely low income families. | Low income (80% of area median). 40% of admissions go to extremely low income families. | Same as the voucher | Low income (80%), with caps on admissions above 50% |
| Your rent (5.628, 982.505, 960.253, 983.353) | Total tenant payment, plus anything by which rent and utilities exceed the payment standard | Income-based rent capped at the total tenant payment, or a flat rent, chosen once a year | Total tenant payment minus the utility allowance. The owner may not charge more. | Total tenant payment |
| Does the help move with you (982.353, 983.261) | Yes, anywhere a housing agency runs a voucher program | No such provision in parts 960 or 966 | After one year, the family may ask for tenant-based help | No such provision in part 880. Converted public housing differs: see the RAD section. |
| Where you apply (982.204, 903.7, 880.603) | The housing agency's voucher waiting list | The housing agency's public housing list, which may be kept by site | The agency's PBV list, or a list the owner keeps for the building | The property itself |
What it means: the rent formula is nearly the same everywhere. The real differences are the landlord, where to apply, and whether the help leaves with the family.
Source: the sections of Title 24 linked in each row, as published by eCFR. Income terms are defined in 24 CFR 5.603.
View the data table
| Program | Units |
|---|---|
| Tenant-based vouchers | 2,364,622 |
| Project-based Section 8 | 1,321,244 |
| Public housing | 848,351 |
| Project-based vouchers | 421,618 |
What it means: by VoucherMatch's arithmetic, public housing is about 17% of these homes.
Source: HUD, Picture of Subsidized Households, 2025 U.S. total file, units "under contract for federal subsidy and available for occupancy" on December 31, 2025. HUD's public housing page still gives an undated "approximately 970,000 households".
Is Section 8 the Same as HUD Housing or Public Housing?
No: HUD is the federal department that funds all of these programs, Section 8 is one family of them, and public housing is a different one.
- HUD housingan everyday label that can mean any column in the table above.
- Section 8rental help that HUD's rules describe as either "tenant-based" or "project-based" (24 CFR 982.1(b)). Most people mean the voucher.
- Housing Choice Voucherthe same thing as a Section 8 voucher. HUD's tenant page calls it "the Housing Choice Voucher Program (also known as Section 8)".
- Public housing, or "the projects"homes owned and managed by a local housing agency. It is not Section 8.
- PBV vs. PBRAHUD's project-based voucher page says the PBV program "is not the same as Project-based Rental Assistance (PBRA)".
- Low income or affordable housinga wider label that also covers tax credit apartments, which HUD's tenant page says "are required to accept housing vouchers as a source of payment".
New York City has more than one voucher agency: see HPD vs. NYCHA Section 8.
Which One Do I Have? What Your Lease and Notices Say
Your lease answers it: look at who signed as landlord, then at what is attached to it.
- 1The landlord on the lease is the housing agencyyou are in public housing. The lease must name the agency and the tenant (24 CFR 966.4(a)). Once a year the agency offers a choice between income-based and flat rent.
- 2The landlord is a private owner, and you found the unit yourself with a voucheryou have a tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher. The lease carries HUD's tenancy addendum, form HUD-52641-A.
- 3The landlord is an owner or manager, you applied for that building, and the housing agency rechecks your incomeyou have a project-based voucher. The lease must include HUD's PBV tenancy addendum, form HUD-52530-C.
- 4The landlord is an owner or manager, and the management office took your application and rechecks your income itselfyou are in project-based Section 8. HUD's model lease for subsidized programs is form HUD-90105a.
What it means: check your own papers, then ask the office to confirm the program in writing.
Source: 24 CFR 966.4, 983.256 and 880.603, and the forms linked in each step; who rechecks income is from HUD's RAD fact sheet 4.
Watch outA former public housing building may now be project-based.A building that used to be public housing may have converted to a project-based contract. See the RAD section below.
Housing Choice Voucher: the subsidy that moves with you
A voucher is tied to the family: the housing agency approves a unit the family picks, pays the owner each month, and keeps paying after an approved move.
.jpg){kind=link}
- Rent can exceed 30%.The agency pays the lower of the payment standard or the gross rent, minus the total tenant payment (24 CFR 982.505). The family pays the rest (982.515).
- A 40% ceiling at move-in.When a family first leases a unit priced above the payment standard, its share "must not exceed 40 percent of the family's adjusted monthly income" (982.508).
- Portability.A family "has the right to receive tenant-based voucher assistance ... to lease a unit outside the initial PHA jurisdiction, anywhere in the United States, in the jurisdiction of a PHA with a tenant-based program" (982.353(b)).
How Section 8 portability works covers moving between agencies, and how the utility allowance works explains the utility part of gross rent.
How Rent Is Calculated in Each Program
Rent in all four starts from the total tenant payment, and only a voucher family can end up paying more than that amount.
The total tenant payment is "the highest of the following amounts, rounded to the nearest dollar": 30% of monthly adjusted income, 10% of monthly income, the housing part of a welfare grant where one is designated, or the minimum rent (24 CFR 5.628). The minimum rent is up to $50 for public housing and vouchers and $25 for other Section 8 programs, with hardship exemptions (5.630).
View the data table
| Where the family lives | Family pays, dollars a month |
|---|---|
| Voucher, unit at or below the payment standard | 450 |
| Voucher, unit $150 above the payment standard | 600 |
| Public housing (income-based rent), PBV or PBRA unit | 450 |
What it means: only with a voucher does a costlier home raise what the family pays.
Source: VoucherMatch's arithmetic on a hypothetical family, using 24 CFR 5.628, 982.505 and 982.515. 30% of $1,500 is $450. In the second row the payment standard is $1,400 and rent plus utilities is $1,550: the agency pays $1,400 − $450 = $950, and the family pays $1,550 − $950 = $600. That is 40% of $1,500, the most allowed at first lease-up. Amounts include tenant-paid utilities.
- Flat rent exists only in public housing. It is no less than 80% of the applicable Fair Market Rent. A family paying it has its income rechecked at least every three years and can switch back at any time for hardship (24 CFR 960.253(b), (f) and (g)).
- Public housing has an income ceiling for people already inside. A family whose income stays above 2.4 times the very low income limit for 24 months in a row must be charged a higher, unsubsidized rent or have its tenancy ended, as the agency's policy provides (24 CFR 960.507).
What happens to Section 8 if your income goes up covers the voucher side.
Public housing: an apartment the housing authority owns
In public housing the housing agency is the landlord: it owns the building, picks the unit it offers, signs the lease and collects the rent.
- Who gets in. "No family other than a low income family is eligible", and "eligible applicants include single persons" (24 CFR 960.201).
- How long you can stay. HUD says "as long as you comply with the lease".
- Transfers stay inside the agency. The lease includes an agreement to move to a right-sized unit when the agency has one (966.4(c)). Parts 960 and 966 contain no portability.
- Household changes need the agency's approval. Can my boyfriend live with me on Section 8 has the public housing rule beside the voucher rule.
Project-based: the subsidy stays with the building
Project-based help belongs to the unit, and the two programs that work this way differ in who runs them and in whether a family can ever leave with a voucher.
- Project-based voucher (PBV)run by the local housing agency with part of its voucher funding, generally up to 20% of its authorized vouchers (24 CFR 983.5, 983.6). The agency fills the units, or the owner does from a list the agency oversees.
- Project-based Section 8 contract (PBRA)run by HUD's Office of Housing through about 17,500 contracts with owners. The owner picks tenants under a written tenant selection plan (5.655). About 52% of its households are headed by seniors.
What it means: for a PBV building the housing agency is the door, and for a PBRA building the management office is.
Source: the sections linked above and 24 CFR 983.251; HUD's fiscal year 2027 budget justification for PBRA for the contract count and the senior share.
How a project-based voucher family gets a voucher that moves
After one year a PBV family may end the lease and keep its help in tenant-based form, if it asks the housing agency before giving notice.
- 1Live in the unit for a year"The family may terminate the assisted lease at any time after one year of PBV assistance." A family that leaves sooner "relinquishes the opportunity".
- 2Contact the housing agency firstbefore giving notice, the family "must contact the PHA to request a voucher or comparable tenant-based rental assistance".
- 3Wait if none is freethe agency "must give the family priority to receive the next available opportunity for continued tenant-based rental assistance".
- 4Give the owner written noticeas the lease requires, with a copy to the agency.
- 5Exception for survivorsa family that must move for safety because of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking may skip steps 2 and 4, and is still offered tenant-based help if it had a year of PBV assistance.
What it means: the right is to the next available help, which can mean a wait.
Source: 24 CFR 983.261, as rewritten effective June 6, 2024.
Each agency writes its own procedure. Three current plans show how.
| Housing agency | PBV waiting list | How the one-year move works |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago (CHA) | A CHA-managed site-based list for each property or group | The family "may be added to the tenant-based voucher transfer waiting list after one year of PBV occupancy" if it has not broken its obligations |
| New York City (NYCHA) | Separate site-based lists, filled from the tenant-based list and owner referrals | Families "must use the self-service portal" to ask; if nothing is available they get priority on the tenant-based waitlist |
| Los Angeles (HACLA) | A separate list for each PBV site, with the owner referring families | HACLA runs a criminal background check and requires the family to be in compliance with its lease |
What it means: the federal right is the same in all three cities; the form, the screening and the queue are local.
Source: CHA Administrative Plan, effective October 1, 2025, sections 17-VI.B and 17-VII.D; NYCHA Administrative Plan, May 2026; HACLA Administrative Plan, January 2026, sections 16.31 and 16.38.
What Happens When Public Housing Converts Under RAD
A public housing property that converts under the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) becomes project-based Section 8, either PBV or PBRA, and the residents sign new leases.
HUD's August 2026 RAD overview says more than 300 housing agencies have converted all of their public housing.
- Leasea new lease with the project owner or manager. Residents are not re-screened.
- Rentstill 30% of adjusted income. "Section 8 does not allow flat rents", so a family on flat rent may see an increase, which is phased in.
- Choice mobilitya new right to request a tenant-based voucher, after 1 year in a PBV property or 2 years in a PBRA property.
- Limitsthe family gets priority for the next available voucher and may have to wait. Agencies may cap these moves each year.
What it means: ask the office whether the building is PBV or PBRA, because the wait for a voucher differs. NYCHA's plan calls its RAD program "PACT".
Source: HUD RAD resident fact sheets 4 (PBV and PBRA), 6 (Rent), 7 (Your Lease) and 12 (Choice Mobility); the RAD notice as amended, sections 1.6.D.8 and 1.7.C.5.
What a Waiting List Means in Each Program
Each program has its own list, kept by a different office, and a place on one is not a place on another.
| Program | Who keeps the list | What the rule says |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant-based voucher | The housing agency | One list. The agency gives public notice when it opens and may close it when it has enough applicants (24 CFR 982.204, 982.206). |
| Public housing | The housing agency | One list or site-based lists. With site-based lists the agency must tell applicants about each site and estimate the wait (903.7(b)(2)). |
| Project-based voucher | The housing agency, or the owner if the agency's plan allows | The voucher list, a central PBV list or lists by building. Turning down a PBV unit does not change a family's place on the voucher list (983.251(c) and (e)). |
| Project-based Section 8 | The owner | With no unit free, the owner puts the family on "a waiting list for the project". It may stop taking applications when the wait would pass 12 months (880.603). |
What it means: a closed voucher list says nothing about the public housing list or about a building that keeps its own.
Source: the sections linked in each row, and 24 CFR 982.205: an agency may not remove someone from its voucher list, or change their position, because they applied for, received or refused other housing help.
View the data table
| Program | Months |
|---|---|
| Tenant-based vouchers | 29 |
| Project-based vouchers | 24 |
| Public housing | 19 |
What it means: these are averages for people who got in, and they do not count people still waiting.
Source: HUD, Picture of Subsidized Households, 2025 U.S. total file, "average months on waiting list" from the date a household entered the list to its admission. The file has no figure for project-based Section 8.
Some lists are filled by lottery: see how Section 8 lotteries work. Is Section 8 open right now shows how to check a list.
Which one should you apply for?
Apply to every program you qualify for, because the lists are separate.
- The voucher list at your housing agency and at nearby agencies. HUD says "you may need to apply to multiple Public Housing Agency waitlists". Start from the open Section 8 waiting lists.
- The public housing list at the same agencies. The income limit is higher: 80% of area median instead of 50%.
- Project-based voucher lists. Ask the agency which buildings have them.
- Project-based Section 8 properties, one by one, at each management office.
- Find any agency's phone and address in the housing authority directory.
A single adult can apply: see can a single person get Section 8. For screening, see what disqualifies you from Section 8.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Section 8 and public housing?
With a Section 8 voucher you rent from a private landlord and the help can move with you. In public housing the housing agency owns the apartment and is your landlord, and the help ends when you leave.
What's the difference between HUD and Section 8?
HUD is the federal department. Section 8 is one group of HUD programs: the Housing Choice Voucher, project-based vouchers and project-based Section 8 contracts. Public housing is a separate HUD program.
How do I apply for public housing in Florida, New York or any other state?
Apply to the local housing agency that owns the housing. HUD's page says "contact your local HA". Look up agencies by state in the housing authority directory.
Can I buy a home or rent to own with Section 8?
The voucher rules include a homeownership option that an agency "may" offer to help a family living in a home it bought (24 CFR 982.625). Ask your agency whether it runs one.
Next step: read the landlord's name on your lease, then ask that office which program your unit is under and which waiting lists are open.
Holding a voucher and searching? Browse listings from landlords who accept vouchers, or start from the national Section 8 guide.
Landlord with a vacancy? List your property free and reach tenants who hold a voucher.
How this article was checked
Last checked: October 6, 2026, against 24 CFR parts 5, 880, 903, 960, 966, 982 and 983 (eCFR issue of September 28, 2026); HUD's public housing, voucher, project-based voucher and RAD pages, RAD notice and resident fact sheets; HUD's Picture of Subsidized Households for 2025; and the administrative plans of the Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City (NYCHA) housing agencies.
Sources for this article (50)
- 24 CFR part 982 (ecfr.gov)
- Parts 960 (ecfr.gov)
- 966 (ecfr.gov)
- Part 983 (ecfr.gov)
- Part 880 (ecfr.gov)
- 982.1 (ecfr.gov)
- 983.5 (ecfr.gov)
- 880.201 (ecfr.gov)
- 966.4 (ecfr.gov)
- 983.256 (ecfr.gov)
- 982.201 (ecfr.gov)
- 960.201 (ecfr.gov)
- 960.202 (ecfr.gov)
- 5.653 (ecfr.gov)
- 5.628 (ecfr.gov)
- 982.505 (ecfr.gov)
- 960.253 (ecfr.gov)
- 983.353 (ecfr.gov)
- 982.353 (ecfr.gov)
- 983.261 (ecfr.gov)
- 982.204 (ecfr.gov)
- 903.7 (ecfr.gov)
- 880.603 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 5.603 (ecfr.gov)
- Picture of Subsidized Households (huduser.gov)
- public housing page (hud.gov)
- tenant page (hud.gov)
- project-based voucher page (hud.gov)
- form HUD-52641-A (hud.gov)
- form HUD-52530-C (hud.gov)
- model lease for subsidized programs (hud.gov)
- RAD fact sheet 4 (hud.gov)
- 982.515 (ecfr.gov)
- 982.508 (ecfr.gov)
- 5.630 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 960.507 (ecfr.gov)
- 983.6 (ecfr.gov)
- 5.655 (ecfr.gov)
- fiscal year 2027 budget justification for PBRA (hud.gov)
- Administrative Plan (thecha.org)
- Administrative Plan (nyc.gov)
- Administrative Plan (hacla.org)
- RAD overview (hud.gov)
- 6 (Rent) (hud.gov)
- 7 (Your Lease) (hud.gov)
- 12 (Choice Mobility) (hud.gov)
- RAD notice as amended (hud.gov)
- 982.206 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.205 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.625 (ecfr.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
What Counts as Income for Section 8? What Is Included, What Is Excluded, and Child Support (2026)
Section 8 counts nearly all money that regularly comes into the household from outside it, including wages, benefits, child support you actually receive and business profit. HUD's 2023 income rule also lists 28 categories that do not count, from a minor's paychecks to tax refunds, gifts for birthdays and one-time payments. Here is the full picture, with the deductions that lower the number your rent is based on.
9 min readHaving a Baby on Section 8: Reporting the Birth, Voucher Size, and Whether You Have to Move
A new baby does not need housing authority approval, but you must report the birth, usually within 10 to 30 days. Your rent share usually goes down, your voucher size may go up at the next recertification, and if the apartment becomes overcrowded under HUD's space standards the agency must issue a voucher to move. Here is the rule, what changes, and a New York City note on transfers.
8 min readCan You Get a Live-In Aide on Section 8? Approval, the Extra Bedroom, and the Rules
Yes. A family with an elderly, near-elderly or disabled member can ask the housing authority to approve a live-in aide, and the agency must approve one when it is needed as a reasonable accommodation. The aide's income does not count, the aide gets counted for bedroom size, and the aide never gains rights to the voucher. Here is the rule, how to ask, and what agencies require.
8 min readIs There a Time Limit on Section 8? What Federal Rules Say, and Where Limits Exist
Under the standard federal voucher rules, no. As long as your family stays eligible and follows the program's obligations, a Housing Choice Voucher has no expiration date. The exceptions are Moving to Work agencies, which can impose term limits under HUD waivers, and a HUD notice published in September 2026 revises those rules to allow terms as short as two years. Here is how it works and how to check your agency.
7 min readCan Section 8 Show Up Unannounced? Inspections, Home Visits and Your Right to Notice
Generally no for inspections. Federal rules require you to let the housing authority inspect "at reasonable times and after reasonable notice," and agencies like Philadelphia define that as at least 48 hours outside emergencies. What can happen quickly is a complaint inspection for a dangerous condition, which the agency must do within 24 hours. And missing two scheduled inspections can cost you the voucher. Here is how inspections work and what to expect.
7 min readSection 8 for Mixed-Status Families: Who Qualifies, How the Subsidy Is Prorated, the "Elect Not to Contend" Rule, and Where HUD's 2026 Proposal Stands
A household where some members have eligible immigration status and others do not can receive Section 8 or public housing today, with the assistance reduced in proportion, and without the members who lack status having to disclose it. Here is the federal rule as written, the proration math with a worked example, the protection for members who do not claim status, and the exact status of HUD's February 2026 proposal to end prorated assistance.
12 min readFind Your Next Home
Explore section 8 apartments and local rental guidance.