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
NHA’s dedicated HCV page says the voucher waiting list is closed, while the public-housing overview marks an HCVP row “Yes.” These official pages disagree. Call HCV customer service at (973) 273-6206 to confirm intake before trying to apply; a public-housing opening does not establish an HCV opening. The payment-standard table also lacks an effective date; confirm the adopted edition before budgeting.
What do you need to do?
HCV customer service: (973) 273-6206Office hours and other contacts
Newark Housing Authority has separate public-housing and voucher application routes. Its official pages disagree about HCV intake. Use the program contacts below to confirm the exact list; existing HCV cases and public-housing applicants have different service routes.
Vouchers and property applications
NHA administers the Newark HCV program. Newark is part of a much larger New York-Newark metro data area, but a metro benchmark or another New Jersey agency’s notice is not an NHA rule. Confirm the administering agency before choosing a portal or schedule.
Check the list for the program you want. Joining a waiting list does not mean a home or voucher is available now.
Newark Housing Authority (NHA) HCV application route
NHA’s dedicated HCV page says the voucher waiting list is closed, while the public-housing overview marks an HCVP row “Yes.” These official pages disagree. Call HCV customer service at (973) 273-6206 to confirm intake before trying to apply; a public-housing opening does not establish an HCV opening.
Read the current NHA program notice →Named property or housing program; separate from tenant-based HCV
NHA directs applicants to open low-income public-housing lists through RentCafe. The January 2026 announcement is historical; check the portal’s exact property and household options before treating any particular list as open.
Check the exact property application →Read the dated notice for this agency and exact program. NHA’s dedicated HCV page says the voucher waiting list is closed, while the public-housing overview marks an HCVP row “Yes.” These official pages disagree. Call HCV customer service at (973) 273-6206 to confirm intake before trying to apply; a public-housing opening does not establish an HCV opening.
NHA directs applicants to open low-income public-housing lists through RentCafe. The January 2026 announcement is historical; check the portal’s exact property and household options before treating any particular list as open. 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
NHA’s public-housing instructions give preliminary applications an 18-month life. Save your application date and confirmation, check the record and contact NHA before expiry. Paper application access requires an approved accommodation; ask the property-management office about the request process. Public-housing status assistance is (973) 273-6127; the published phone hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon, and Tuesday, 1 to 4 p.m.
Source checked
NHA’s dedicated HCV page says the voucher waiting list is closed, while the public-housing overview marks an HCVP row “Yes.” These official pages disagree. Call HCV customer service at (973) 273-6206 to confirm intake before trying to apply; a public-housing opening does not establish an HCV opening.
NHA administers the Newark HCV program. Newark is part of a much larger New York-Newark metro data area, but a metro benchmark or another New Jersey agency’s notice is not an NHA rule. Confirm the administering agency before choosing a portal or schedule.
Guidance review date: . Waiting-list status has its own check date above.
Check your existing record using the official application-status route. NHA’s public-housing instructions say a preliminary application expires after 18 months. Keep your confirmation, update contact information and ask NHA how to keep or renew the exact program record before it expires.
NHA links HCV/PBV Online Services & Forms, managed by Nan McKay & Associates on its behalf. Use the official program page to reach the service and choose the form for your case. Inspection requests have a separate contact from general HCV questions.
Call NHA HCV customer service and the agency that issued your voucher before arranging a transfer. Confirm eligibility to move, the receiving office, required portability packet and expiration date. A public-housing application does not transfer an existing voucher.
Start at NHA’s HCV/PBV services linked on the program page. Confirm tenancy paperwork, inspection and rent-reasonableness review with NHA before setting a subsidized move-in date. A number in the website table is not approval for the proposed unit.
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
NHA’s HCV page displays a payment-standard table, but the reviewed table has no effective date. Ask customer service for the adopted schedule and utility allowance applying to the proposed address and tenancy date. Those undated figures are not reproduced here as current rent limits.
| Check | Document or input | Before budgeting |
|---|---|---|
| Payment-standard table | NHA HCV program page | Effective date is not stated |
| Household estimate | Current adopted schedule and utility allowance | Ask NHA to identify the applicable editions |
| Proposed unit | Inspection and rent review | Confirm rent, utilities and household contribution |
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.
Call NHA HCV customer service and the agency that issued your voucher before arranging a transfer. Confirm eligibility to move, the receiving office, required portability packet and expiration date. A public-housing application does not transfer an existing voucher.
Provide the full address, unit and voucher sizes, asking rent and tenant-paid utilities. Ask for the adopted schedule and household calculation that apply.
Start at NHA’s HCV/PBV services linked on the program page. Confirm tenancy paperwork, inspection and rent-reasonableness review with NHA before setting a subsidized move-in date. A number in the website table is not approval for the proposed unit.
Start with your program name and the notice or confirmation you received. Keep a copy of any request and the agency’s response.
Check your existing record using the official application-status route. NHA’s public-housing instructions say a preliminary application expires after 18 months. Keep your confirmation, update contact information and ask NHA how to keep or renew the exact program record before it expires.
Call NHA HCV customer service and the agency that issued your voucher before arranging a transfer. Confirm eligibility to move, the receiving office, required portability packet and expiration date. A public-housing application does not transfer an existing voucher.
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.
NHA lists public-housing application computers at 500 Broad Street, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (973) 273-6000 or the property manager about an accommodation, including an approved paper application. Confirm access before traveling.
The directory lists 500 Broad Street. Before traveling, call the department handling your request to confirm its location and whether an appointment is needed. HCV and inspection inquiries have separate service routes on the program page.
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 Essex County that is $69,200 a year for a family of four, about $5,760 a month before taxes. HUD's area median family income here is $138,400.
| Household size | Extremely low | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $29,050 | $48,450 | $74,800 |
| 2 people | $33,200 | $55,400 | $85,450 |
| 3 people | $37,350 | $62,300 | $96,150 |
| 4 people | $41,500 | $69,200 | $106,800 |
| 5 people | $44,850 | $74,750 | $115,350 |
| 6 people | $48,150 | $80,300 | $123,900 |
| 7 people | $51,500 | $85,850 | $132,450 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $91,350 | $141,000 |
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 $41,500 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 Newark, NJ 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) | $1,637 | $1,473 to $1,801 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,850 | $1,665 to $2,035 |
| 2-bedroom | $2,233 | $2,010 to $2,456 |
| 3-bedroom | $2,785 | $2,507 to $3,064 |
| 4-bedroom | $3,188 | $2,869 to $3,507 |
The two-bedroom HUD benchmark for Essex County is $2,233. Multiplying by 90% and 110% gives $2,010 to $2,456, 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.
The HCV program page lists (973) 273-6206 for customer service. It separates general HCV questions from inspection questions, so identify your program and task when you contact NHA.
NHA’s dedicated HCV page says the voucher waiting list is closed, while the public-housing overview marks an HCVP row “Yes.” These official pages disagree. Call HCV customer service at (973) 273-6206 to confirm intake before trying to apply; a public-housing opening does not establish an HCV opening.
NHA’s public-housing instructions say up to 18 months. Record your submission date and ask how to maintain or renew the exact record before it expires.
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 New Jersey →
Program counts come from HUD’s directory; contact details use the dated agency sources above. HUD agency code NJ002. Call ahead before you visit: offices move and hours change.
