Section 8 in Gainesville, FL, FL: Rent Limits and Housing Authorities
Gainesville, FL 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.
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.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard (90 to 110%) |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (studio) | $1,154 | $1,039 to $1,269 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,246 | $1,121 to $1,371 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,493 | $1,344 to $1,642 |
| 3-bedroom | $1,868 | $1,681 to $2,055 |
| 4-bedroom | $1,977 | $1,779 to $2,175 |
Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Gainesville covers up to $1,493 in gross rent, before the tenant's utility allowance. Across the full range a PHA may set: $1,344 to $1,642.
Voucher demand in this metro
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 Gainesville
3 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Apply with (or contact) the PHA that covers the specific address.
- Status unknown
Gainesville Housing Authority
Gainesville , FL · FL063 · 1,913 HCV units
3528725502 - Status unknown
Alachua County
Gainesville , FL · FL070 · 1,160 HCV units
3523722549 - Status unknown
North Central Florida Regional Housing Agency
Bronson , FL · FL049 · 392 HCV units
3524865420
Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Gainesville, FL?
It depends on the city. Florida has no statewide source-of-income law, but some local ordinances in the state prohibit voucher discrimination. Check whether Gainesville, FL sits inside a protected jurisdiction before assuming either way.
No statewide SOI protection. Miami-Dade County (2020) and a few other localities have protections. Elsewhere, landlords may 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 Gainesville 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 Gainesville?
- In the Gainesville, FL metro, the FY2026 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,493 per month. A housing authority usually sets its Section 8 payment standard between 90% and 110% of that, roughly $1,344 to $1,642 in gross rent before the tenant's utility allowance.
- What are the FY2026 Fair Market Rents in Gainesville?
- HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents for the Gainesville, FL metro, by bedroom size: studio $1,154, 1-bedroom $1,246, 2-bedroom $1,493, 3-bedroom $1,868, 4-bedroom $1,977. Section 8 payment standards are based on these figures.
- How do I apply for Section 8 in Gainesville?
- Section 8 in Gainesville is administered by Gainesville Housing Authority, Alachua County, North Central Florida Regional Housing Agency. 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 Gainesville
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.
Other Section 8 markets in FL
Rent limits from HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent data. Investor running the numbers? The RentalCalcs voucher analyzer uses this same dataset.