Section 8 in Durham, NC, NC: Rent Limits and Housing Authorities

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 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)
$1,711
HUD
Active vouchers
4,436
73% utilized
Housing authorities
5
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)$1,417$1,275 to $1,559
1-bedroom$1,507$1,356 to $1,658
2-bedroom$1,711$1,540 to $1,882
3-bedroom$2,117$1,905 to $2,329
4-bedroom$2,527$2,274 to $2,780

Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Durham covers up to $1,711 in gross rent, before the tenant's utility allowance. Across the full range a PHA may set: $1,540 to $1,882.

Voucher demand in this metro

Active vouchers
4,436
Occupied
3,257
Utilization
73%

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 Durham

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

  • the Housing Authority of the City of Durham

    Durham , NC · NC013 · 3,243 HCV units

    Status unknown
    9196831551
  • Orange County Housing Authority

    Hillsborough , NC · NC104 · 687 HCV units

    Status unknown
    9192452490
  • Chatham County Housing Authority

    Siler City , NC · NC120 · 506 HCV units

    Status unknown
    9197421236
  • Town of Chapel Hill Department of Housing

    Chapel Hill , NC · NC046

    Status unknown
    9199682850
  • Roxboro Housing Authority

    Roxboro , NC · NC060

    Status unknown
    3365998616

Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Durham, NC?

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

No statewide SOI protection in North Carolina. Landlords can refuse vouchers.

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

Counties in the Durham 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 Durham?
In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro, the FY2026 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,711 per month. A housing authority usually sets its Section 8 payment standard between 90% and 110% of that, roughly $1,540 to $1,882 in gross rent before the tenant's utility allowance.
What are the FY2026 Fair Market Rents in Durham?
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents for the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro, by bedroom size: studio $1,417, 1-bedroom $1,507, 2-bedroom $1,711, 3-bedroom $2,117, 4-bedroom $2,527. Section 8 payment standards are based on these figures.
How do I apply for Section 8 in Durham?
Section 8 in Durham is administered by the Housing Authority of the City of Durham, Orange County Housing Authority, Chatham 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 Durham

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.