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?
Customer service: (509) 328-2953Office hours and other contacts
Spokane Housing Authority serves six counties. Check the waiting list for your county or property, update an existing application in My Portal or get help with your voucher.
Vouchers and property applications
SHA identifies six service counties: Spokane, Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens and Whitman. Select the county attached to your application or planned move. An agency serving several counties can have different list openings and rent schedules in each; use the relevant county document.
Check the list for the program you want. Joining a waiting list does not mean a home or voucher is available now.
Spokane County HCV waiting list
SHA lists the Spokane County voucher waiting list as closed. Other counties and property-based lists have separate notices; a My Portal account is not an application to a closed list.
Read SHA notices and applicant instructions →Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille and Stevens counties
SHA lists these county waiting lists as closed. Confirm the county associated with an existing application before requesting an update.
Check the county named on your application →Published September 2026 application window
The notice lists September 7 to 18, 2026. That application period is over, although the page still says “OPEN.” We found no later opening. Contact SHA about an application you already submitted.
Check for a newer Whitman notice →SHA property-based waiting lists
The central waiting-list page says all PBV lists are closed. Individual projects have different age, disability or homelessness requirements. Older announcements do not mean a list is open now.
Compare property-based eligibility →Check the county-specific notice before using My Portal. SHA’s service area includes Spokane, Ferry, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens and Whitman counties. A Spokane County status does not answer every county’s application question.
Review the project’s household requirements as well as the current list notice. Assistance is attached to a unit. Supportive, age-specific and other projects can have different eligibility requirements.
Use SHA’s property directory to reach the named property manager. The property directory is not a vacancy guarantee or a single public-housing application. Confirm the assistance type, rent and application process with management.
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.
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SHA describes assistance for households displaced by Spokane County wildfires since June 14, 2026. It requires an income review and an assessment of housing-related costs. The published eligible-cost period runs from August 1, 2026 through January 30, 2027. Ask SHA whether your loss and expenses qualify and whether funding remains; this is separate from the closed voucher list.
Confirm the current rules: The page’s six-person annual income figure does not match its monthly figure. Ask SHA to confirm the income limit for your household; we have not reproduced that table.
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Spokane’s coordinated entry system has different routes for adults, families and young people. The city directs adults without children to SNAP at 509-456-7627 and families with children to Catholic Charities at 509-325-5005. Households headed by someone ages 12 to 24 should check the youth route on the city page. An assessment does not guarantee a bed, voucher or apartment.
Choose the section that matches your situation. Have your program name and any agency notice ready when you call.
Guidance review date: . Waiting-list status has its own check date above.
Check your existing My Portal record and the county or property list. SHA directs applicants to submit contact updates there and may request supporting documents. Call customer service if you cannot locate your application.
SHA uses My Portal for changes of circumstance. Its voucher page also provides accommodation requests and consent for someone to speak with the agency on your behalf. Follow your own recertification notice and response deadline.
Tell SHA whether the proposed home is in another SHA county or another authority’s jurisdiction. Use its move/transfer or portability instructions and confirm eligibility, notice and voucher timing with your worker.
Follow SHA’s landlord instructions and use the rent schedule for the home’s county. SHA must review the paperwork and approve the rental before assistance can begin.
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
SHA’s Spokane County document separates the regular voucher standard effective January 1, 2026 from HUD benchmarks and Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) standards effective October 1, 2026. Use the correct county and program. The utility allowance depends on the home type, fuels and services the tenant pays.
| Bedrooms | Regular voucher · Jan 1, 2026 | HUD benchmark · Oct 1, 2026 | EHV · Oct 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $995 | $1,116 | $1,339 |
| 1 | $1,100 | $1,173 | $1,407 |
| 2 | $1,380 | $1,494 | $1,792 |
| 3 | $1,880 | $2,047 | $2,456 |
| 4 | $2,260 | $2,497 | $2,996 |
| 5 | $2,595 | $2,871 | $3,445 |
| 6 | $2,935 | $3,246 | $3,895 |
Use this table for Spokane County only. SHA’s five other counties have their own schedules. Ask SHA which bedroom size applies and add the utility allowance to the rent when comparing a home. Use the EHV column only if you have an Emergency Housing Voucher.
Tell SHA the destination county and ask about its transfer process and schedule.
Request portability through your current authority; confirm eligibility and the receiving agency’s instructions.
Have the owner complete the tenancy request and wait for agency review and inspection before moving in.
Start with your program name and the notice or confirmation you received. Keep a copy of any request and the agency’s response.
Use My Portal to review your record or call customer service. Have the county, program and original confirmation ready. Keep the account’s contact details current.
Contact your worker before the expiration date and ask what request and supporting records are needed. An extension or move approval is not automatic.
Read the notice and ask SHA promptly about the available informal-hearing process and your deadline. Keep a copy of your request and related records.
Call (509) 328-2953 for customer service. SHA directs disability accommodation requests through My Portal and lists extension 5 for its ADA coordinator. Ask customer service about language or online-access assistance.
SHA lists walk-ins Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.; the virtual lobby has different hours, Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Its website offers a live walk-in check and appointment booking. Confirm availability before visiting.
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 Spokane County that is $55,250 a year for a family of four, about $4,600 a month before taxes. HUD's area median family income here is $110,500.
| Household size | Extremely low | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $23,250 | $38,700 | $61,900 |
| 2 people | $26,550 | $44,200 | $70,750 |
| 3 people | $29,850 | $49,750 | $79,600 |
| 4 people | $33,150 | $55,250 | $88,400 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $59,700 | $95,500 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $64,100 | $102,550 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $68,550 | $109,650 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $72,950 | $116,700 |
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 $33,150 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 Spokane, WA 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) | $1,116 | $1,004 to $1,228 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,173 | $1,056 to $1,290 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,494 | $1,345 to $1,643 |
| 3-bedroom | $2,047 | $1,842 to $2,252 |
| 4-bedroom | $2,497 | $2,247 to $2,747 |
The two-bedroom HUD benchmark for Spokane County is $1,494. Multiplying by 90% and 110% gives $1,345 to $1,643, 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 displayed notice gives a September 7–18, 2026 application period. That period has ended. Check for a newer notice rather than treating the word “OPEN” alone as current permission to apply.
No. Property-based assistance has separate lists and project requirements. SHA’s current central notice and the individual program explanation should be read together.
SHA directs applicants to report contact and application changes in My Portal. It may request supporting documents; contact customer service if you cannot access the account.
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: Separated county and property notices, identified the expired Whitman window, and added wildfire assistance and local homelessness assessment routes. Flagged conflicting wildfire income figures.
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 Washington →
Program counts come from HUD’s directory; contact details use the dated agency sources above. HUD agency code WA055. Call ahead before you visit: offices move and hours change.