Local housing guide
Find application information, check an existing case, or prepare to use your voucher.
Independent guidance by VoucherMatch
Sources checked
Property programs have their own lists. Check each program below.
Source checked · Official notice
What do you need to do?
Applicant portal help: (888) 717-1180Office hours and other contacts
The Housing Authority of the City of San José’s voucher program is administered by Santa Clara County Housing Authority (SCCHA). Use SCCHA’s combined interest-list and case-service routes. Applying under both agency names does not create two independent registrations.
Vouchers and property applications
SCCHA administers the City of San José housing authority’s HCV program as well as the county program. Its FY2026 plan describes a combined interest-list system for both authorities. The two agency names do not create two independent chances through duplicate registrations.
Check the list for the program you want. Joining a waiting list does not mean a home or voucher is available now.
Santa Clara County Housing Authority (SCCHA) HCV application route
SCCHA states the online interest lists are open continuously. Registering expresses interest; random selection for a waiting list and eligibility review happen later. Log in at least annually to remain active.
View the official application instructions →Named property or housing program; separate from tenant-based HCV
The interest-list process includes property choices. A particular building may have a separate leasing process or eligibility rules; confirm the exact property and application before submitting.
Check the exact property application →Read the dated notice for this agency and exact program. SCCHA states the online interest lists are open continuously. Registering expresses interest; random selection for a waiting list and eligibility review happen later. Log in at least annually to remain active.
The interest-list process includes property choices. A particular building may have a separate leasing process or eligibility rules; confirm the exact property and application before submitting. The program and property determine eligibility and application steps. A portal account is not a voucher award.
These statuses reflect the dates checked above. Being able to create an account does not mean applications are open.
Help beyond the main voucher list
These programs have separate rules and contacts. They do not open the housing authority’s main voucher list.
Source checked
SCCHA requires an Applicant Portal sign-in at least once each year to show continued interest. Update changed details sooner. Call (888) 717-1180 for applicant help; current tenants use (408) 275-8770 or their Housing Specialist.
SCCHA administers the City of San José housing authority’s HCV program as well as the county program. Its FY2026 plan describes a combined interest-list system for both authorities. The two agency names do not create two independent chances through duplicate registrations.
Guidance review date: . Waiting-list status has its own check date above.
Sign in at least annually and update changed contact or household information sooner. SCCHA says you can reactivate or edit your information. If selected for a waiting list, respond to the eligibility request by its deadline; an interest-list account alone is not selection.
Use the Tenant Portal to see your current rent portion, upload documents, report changes, request a move or accommodation and message your Housing Specialist. Contact SCCHA if you cannot access the account, and retain the confirmation for each request.
For an incoming move, ask your issuing authority to approve portability and send the packet to SCCHA. SCCHA says it cannot provide rental assistance in the county until it receives that paperwork. For an outgoing move, contact your Housing Specialist before giving notice and track the voucher expiration.
Use the Owner Portal and SCCHA’s payment-standard address lookup. A rent adjustment request should arrive 60 days before its proposed effective date and no earlier than four months ahead, according to the agency page. Agency review still determines whether the requested rent can be approved.
Use this to get ready, then follow the agency’s document requirements. Checkmarks stay on this page only and clear when you reload.
“I applied for [program or property] on [date]. My confirmation number is [number]. How do I check my application, update my contact details and find out if you need anything else?”
If you already have a voucher, give its expiration date and ask what you need to do before then. Send identity documents only through the agency’s official process.
Rent and utilities
SCCHA’s 2026 payment standards took effect January 1, 2026 and vary by ZIP code. Its address lookup asks for the rental address, unit bedrooms and voucher size. The current utility allowance is effective October 1, 2026; use that effective date even though the PDF filename says 2027.
| Check | Document or input | Before budgeting |
|---|---|---|
| Rental address | 2026 SCCHA address lookup | Exact ZIP, unit bedrooms and voucher size |
| Tenant-paid utilities | Allowance effective October 1, 2026 | PDF filename and effective date differ |
| Proposed rent | SCCHA affordability and reasonableness checks | The schedule is not an approved rent or subsidy |
This is a document-selection aid, not a rent quote or subsidy calculation. The administering agency must approve the requested rent, utilities and household contribution.
For an incoming move, ask your issuing authority to approve portability and send the packet to SCCHA. SCCHA says it cannot provide rental assistance in the county until it receives that paperwork. For an outgoing move, contact your Housing Specialist before giving notice and track the voucher expiration.
Provide the full address, unit and voucher sizes, asking rent and tenant-paid utilities. Ask for the adopted schedule and household calculation that apply.
Use the Owner Portal and SCCHA’s payment-standard address lookup. A rent adjustment request should arrive 60 days before its proposed effective date and no earlier than four months ahead, according to the agency page. Agency review still determines whether the requested rent can be approved.
Start with your program name and the notice or confirmation you received. Keep a copy of any request and the agency’s response.
Sign in at least annually and update changed contact or household information sooner. SCCHA says you can reactivate or edit your information. If selected for a waiting list, respond to the eligibility request by its deadline; an interest-list account alone is not selection.
For an incoming move, ask your issuing authority to approve portability and send the packet to SCCHA. SCCHA says it cannot provide rental assistance in the county until it receives that paperwork. For an outgoing move, contact your Housing Specialist before giving notice and track the voucher expiration.
Read the agency notice promptly and keep the envelope or delivery date. Ask the named department which review or hearing process applies and when the request is due. Save proof of your response; do not assume that a general portal message meets the notice’s requirements.
SCCHA provides interpretation and translation assistance through (408) 275-8770. Accommodation requests may be made verbally or in writing to a Housing Specialist. Portal submission does not itself approve a rent change, move or accommodation.
The San José office is at 505 West Julian Street. Check the official closure calendar before visiting, especially on Fridays. Call applicant help for registration problems; current participants should contact the Housing Specialist handling their case.
To qualify for a Housing Choice Voucher, a household's gross annual income generally has to be at or below the very low income limit for its size. In Santa Clara County that is $102,750 a year for a family of four, about $8,560 a month before taxes. HUD's area median family income here is $205,500.
| Household size | Extremely low | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $43,200 | $71,950 | $113,700 |
| 2 people | $49,350 | $82,200 | $129,950 |
| 3 people | $55,500 | $92,500 | $146,200 |
| 4 people | $61,650 | $102,750 | $162,400 |
| 5 people | $66,600 | $111,000 | $175,400 |
| 6 people | $71,550 | $119,200 | $188,400 |
| 7 people | $76,450 | $127,450 | $201,400 |
| 8 people | $81,400 | $135,650 | $214,400 |
Which column applies to you. The middle column is the eligibility line for most applicants (24 CFR 982.201). The low income column only applies in special cases, such as families already receiving federal housing assistance. Federal rules generally require at least 75% of admissions from the waiting list each year to be extremely low income families. This does not predict selection or waiting time. For a family of four here, that threshold is $61,650 or less.
Income is counted before taxes and covers the whole household. The housing authority verifies it when your name is reached on the waiting list, so what counts is your income at that point. Being under the income limit is only one part of eligibility and does not guarantee admission.
Compare your household income with Section 8 limits and see how monthly income becomes an annual estimate.
Source: HUD FY2026 Section 8 Income Limits for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area, huduser.gov.
HUD rent benchmarks for FY2027, effective October 1, 2026. These are not adopted housing-authority payment standards or household subsidy amounts. The illustration shows 90% to 110% of FMR; ZIP-based schedules, approved exceptions and Moving to Work rules can differ.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Illustration: 90% to 110% of FMR |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (studio) | $2,458 | $2,212 to $2,704 |
| 1-bedroom | $2,778 | $2,500 to $3,056 |
| 2-bedroom | $3,272 | $2,945 to $3,599 |
| 3-bedroom | $4,396 | $3,956 to $4,836 |
| 4-bedroom | $4,688 | $4,219 to $5,157 |
The two-bedroom HUD benchmark for Santa Clara County is $3,272. Multiplying by 90% and 110% gives $2,945 to $3,599, not an approval range. Gross rent includes the applicable allowance for tenant-paid utilities. Your agency must calculate assistance using its adopted standard, your household and the proposed unit.
SCCHA administers both housing authorities and describes a combined interest-list system. Follow the SCCHA portal’s program choices instead of creating duplicate registrations for the city and county names.
No. SCCHA randomly selects households from the interest lists when assistance is available. Selected households are added to a waiting list and contacted for eligibility review.
At least once each year to keep your interest active. Update contact and household details whenever they change, and follow any separate deadline in a selection notice.
Prepared by the VoucherMatch editorial team. Source review date: . Each waiting list has its own check date.
This guide draws on agency notices, contact pages and rent schedules, with AI assistance to extract and compare information. Unconfirmed openings, amounts and source limitations are identified in the relevant sections. About VoucherMatch.
What changed: Added scoped program notices, application recovery, local access instructions and rent-document comparisons. Related pages use the same dated agency evidence; unresolved source issues remain visible.
Follow the agency’s instructions and the deadlines on your own notice. Report a correction if a link or agency detail has changed.
All housing authorities in California →
Program counts come from HUD’s directory; contact details use the dated agency sources above. HUD agency code CA056. Call ahead before you visit: offices move and hours change.