Contact Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM)
- Phone
- (414) 286-5678
- Office
- 809 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202
- Website
- hacm.org
The directory address above is the agency office. Housing Choice Voucher services use a different location: 5011 W. Lisbon Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53210; (414) 286-5650. HACM lists HCV office hours as Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m., with no appointment necessary. Confirm your destination before traveling.
Official contact and visiting instructions · checked 2026-10-14VoucherMatch is not the housing authority and does not take applications or hold a waiting list. Applications, status checks and portal logins go through the office above.
Which housing process do you need?
Tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher
Read the dedicated HCV waiting-list and lottery notices before starting an application.
This assistance can be used in a qualifying private rental after issuance. The general housing overview is not a reliable substitute for the program’s own current notice.
HACM HCV program and notices →Public housing or project-based apartment
Choose the exact program and property in HACM’s subsidized-housing application instructions.
These lists concern assisted apartments. Joining one does not place you on the tenant-based voucher list.
HACM waiting-list choices →A voucher from another agency
Ask your issuing housing authority to begin portability and send the required documents to HACM.
Do not use a new waitlist application to transfer existing assistance. Confirm move approval and deadlines with both agencies.
HACM portability instructions →Section 8 waiting list
We have not verified whether this voucher waiting list is open. Check the agency’s current notice for the specific program; an applicant login does not establish an opening. Call (414) 286-5678 and ask whether the Housing Choice Voucher list is open, when it last opened and how the next opening will be announced.
Choose your next step with Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee
Use the specific HACM program notice. Its broad housing overview and dedicated HCV notices have conflicting application language; confirm openings through the waiting-list page and HCV office.
Guidance review date: . Waiting-list status has its own check date above.
I need to apply
Check which list is accepting applications and read its eligibility requirements. HACM directs subsidized-housing applicants to waitlist.hacm.org. Select the program you intend to join; an available registration screen does not establish an HCV opening.
I applied before the 2026 lottery
HACM’s June 17, 2026 lottery selected 5,000 entries from its earlier HCV application period. Selection meant placement on the official waiting list, not a voucher award. Read the agency’s instructions for your selection result, keep contact details current in the applicant portal and save updates. HACM says it cannot provide an individual list position.
I already have HACM assistance
Use the participant instructions for contact and household changes. Contact details can be updated in the portal; HACM requires household-member changes in writing. Contact the HCV office at (414) 286-5650 for case routing and your notice’s document deadline. The office is at 5011 W. Lisbon Avenue.
I want to move with my voucher
For an incoming transfer, ask your current authority to send HACM the portability paperwork. For a move from an existing HACM rental, contact your assigned worker first. Confirm the approved move date, voucher expiration and receiving agency before committing to a lease.
Check this agency’s rent rules before choosing a unit
HACM’s adopted 2026 schedule has a metropolitan-area row and separate rows for specified ZIP codes. Look for the exact ZIP before using the general row. Confirm the applicable unit/voucher size and utility allowance with HACM. A HUD county benchmark and an agency payment standard are different figures; neither is your promised subsidy or an approved landlord rent.
Why the exact Milwaukee ZIP matters
HACM’s adopted schedule lists a general metropolitan amount plus specific ZIP exceptions. Read the ZIP row before choosing a bedroom column.
| Schedule row | Monthly standard |
|---|---|
| General metropolitan row, excluding listed ZIPs | $1,471 |
| 53202 / Milwaukee | $2,211 |
These entries differ by $740 a month. That is a difference in the schedule, not an extra $740 promised to a family or landlord. HACM must determine the applicable bedroom size, utility allowance, family share and rent approval.
Check every ZIP in HACM’s adopted schedule (PDF) · Estimate the household rent split
Before you apply or follow up
- Keep the program name, original application confirmation and any lottery-result email together. Check the email address attached to your existing account.
- For the June 2026 HCV lottery, distinguish selection for the waiting list from a later invitation to eligibility screening. HACM says it cannot give an individual list position.
- Keep copies of contact updates and written household-change requests. If you cannot use the portal, ask the HCV office how to submit the required update in writing.
- Before discussing a rental, record its exact ZIP, bedrooms, proposed monthly rent and tenant-paid utilities. Bring your voucher size and expiration date.
A missing lottery email or an old deadline?
Use (414) 286-5650 for HCV questions. For public housing or a project-based list, check that program’s instructions. The 2026 “Save Your Spot” notice concerned those property lists; it is not the HCV lottery. If you missed a notice, ask HACM to review your actual record and available next steps.
Section 8 income limits in Milwaukee County (FY2026)
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 Milwaukee County that is $54,200 a year for a family of four, about $4,510 a month before taxes. HUD's area median family income here is $108,400.
| Household size | Extremely low | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $22,750 | $37,950 | $60,700 |
| 2 people | $26,000 | $43,400 | $69,400 |
| 3 people | $29,250 | $48,800 | $78,050 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $54,200 | $86,700 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $58,550 | $93,650 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $62,900 | $100,600 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $67,250 | $107,550 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $71,550 | $114,450 |
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 $33,000 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA, huduser.gov.
HUD rent benchmarks in Milwaukee County
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) | $985 | $887 to $1,084 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,060 | $954 to $1,166 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,263 | $1,137 to $1,389 |
| 3-bedroom | $1,553 | $1,398 to $1,708 |
| 4-bedroom | $1,664 | $1,498 to $1,830 |
The two-bedroom HUD benchmark for Milwaukee County is $1,263. Multiplying by 90% and 110% gives $1,137 to $1,389, 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.
More housing help in Milwaukee
Frequently asked questions
- What is the phone number for Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM)?
- The main office number the agency lists for Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) is (414) 286-5678. The office is at 809 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202. Contact details checked 2026-10-14; check the agency’s visiting instructions before traveling.
- Does Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) have Section 8?
- Yes. HUD reports that Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) administers 7,653 Housing Choice Vouchers. It also runs 2,302 public housing apartments, which have a separate waiting list.
- Is the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) Section 8 waiting list open?
- We have not verified the current status of this list. Call (414) 286-5678 and ask whether the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is open, when it last opened, and how openings are announced.
- What is the income limit for Section 8 in Milwaukee County?
- For FY2026, HUD's very low income limit in Milwaukee County is $54,200 a year for a family of four. A household generally has to be at or below that line to qualify for a voucher, and most new vouchers go to households at or below the extremely low income limit.
- How much will Section 8 pay for a two-bedroom in Milwaukee County?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Milwaukee County is $1,263 a month, rent and utilities together. That is a county benchmark, not an adopted payment standard or your subsidy. Ask Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) for the schedule that applies to your program, address and bedroom size; ZIP-based schedules, exceptions and Moving to Work policies can differ. Your household calculation, tenant-paid utilities and the agency's rent review also matter.
Sources and review
Prepared by the VoucherMatch editorial team. Source review date: . Each waiting list has its own check date.
- HCV office, phone, hours and program routes
- Program-specific waiting-list notices
- June 2026 lottery results and applicant updates
- Current voucher participants and household changes
- Adopted payment standards, effective January 1, 2026 (PDF)
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 Wisconsin →
Program counts come from HUD’s directory; contact details use the dated agency sources above. HUD agency code WI002. Call ahead before you visit: offices move and hours change.