Section 8 in Allentown, PA, PA: Rent Limits and Housing Authorities

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area. FY2026 Fair Market Rents, active voucher counts, the housing authorities that run the program here, and whether landlords can legally refuse a voucher. Every figure comes straight from HUD data.

2-bedroom FMR (FY2026)
$1,895
HUD
Active vouchers
8,573
62% utilized
Housing authorities
8
serving this metro
Voucher protection
Not protected

Fair Market Rent by bedroom count

HUD-published metro FMR for FY2026. Payment standards, the amount a PHA actually pays, are set between 90% and 110% of FMR at each PHA's discretion.

BedroomsFMRPayment standard (90 to 110%)
Efficiency (studio)$1,517$1,365 to $1,669
1-bedroom$1,527$1,374 to $1,680
2-bedroom$1,895$1,706 to $2,085
3-bedroom$2,404$2,164 to $2,644
4-bedroom$2,800$2,520 to $3,080

Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Allentown covers up to $1,895 in gross rent, before the tenant's utility allowance. Across the full range a PHA may set: $1,706 to $2,085.

Voucher demand in this metro

Active vouchers
8,573
Occupied
5,342
Utilization
62%

Aggregated from HUD Public Housing Authority data (FY2026). High utilization means most vouchers issued here are already placed in a unit, so landlords who accept vouchers fill vacancies from a deep, reliable applicant pool.

Housing authorities serving Allentown

8 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Apply with (or contact) the PHA that covers the specific address.

  • Lehigh County Housing Authority

    Emmaus , PA · PA081 · 3,359 HCV units

    Status unknown
    6109654514
  • Allentown Housing Authority

    Allentown , PA · PA004 · 1,839 HCV units

    Status unknown
    6104398678
  • Northampton County Housing Authority

    Nazareth , PA · PA076 · 930 HCV units

    Status unknown
    6109654514
  • Warren County Housing Authority

    Belvidere , NJ · NJ102 · 671 HCV units

    Status unknown
    9084753989
  • Easton Housing Authority

    Easton , PA · PA024 · 599 HCV units

    Status unknown
    6103334055
  • Bethlehem Housing Authority

    Bethlehem , PA · PA011 · 513 HCV units

    Status unknown
    6108658357
  • Carbon County Housing Authority

    Lehighton , PA · PA067 · 447 HCV units

    Status unknown
    6103779375
  • Phillipsburg Housing Authority

    Phillipsburg , NJ · NJ024 · 215 HCV units

    Status unknown
    9088590122

Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Allentown, PA?

In most of the state, yes. Pennsylvania has no statewide source-of-income protection, so landlords in Allentown, PA can decline Section 8 applications unless a local ordinance says otherwise.

Pennsylvania has no statewide source-of-income protection for housing vouchers. Local ordinances may apply.

Informational only, not legal advice. Laws change, so verify current status before acting on a rejection or making a leasing decision.

Counties in the Allentown metro

County pages show the local voucher count, the housing authorities that serve it, and ZIP-level rent limits where HUD publishes them.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Section 8 pay for a 2-bedroom in Allentown?
In the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro, the FY2026 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,895 per month. A housing authority usually sets its Section 8 payment standard between 90% and 110% of that, roughly $1,706 to $2,085 in gross rent before the tenant's utility allowance.
What are the FY2026 Fair Market Rents in Allentown?
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents for the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro, by bedroom size: studio $1,517, 1-bedroom $1,527, 2-bedroom $1,895, 3-bedroom $2,404, 4-bedroom $2,800. Section 8 payment standards are based on these figures.
How do I apply for Section 8 in Allentown?
Section 8 in Allentown is administered by Lehigh County Housing Authority, Allentown Housing Authority, Northampton County Housing Authority and other local housing authorities. Apply through the authority whose jurisdiction covers the address, as each runs its own waitlist. Once you have a voucher, search voucher-friendly units and apply on VoucherMatch.

Find Section 8 apartments in Allentown

VoucherMatch connects voucher holders with landlords who accept Section 8, and it is free for renters. Landlords: listings here reach applicants whose voucher already covers the rent above.

Rent limits from HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent data. Investor running the numbers? The RentalCalcs voucher analyzer uses this same dataset.