Section 8 in Rochester, NY, NY: Rent Limits and Housing Authorities

Rochester, NY 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)
$1,573
HUD
Active vouchers
11,520
83% utilized
Housing authorities
4
serving this metro
Voucher protection
Protected
NY Human Rights Law §296(5)

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)$1,116$1,004 to $1,228
1-bedroom$1,256$1,130 to $1,382
2-bedroom$1,573$1,416 to $1,730
3-bedroom$1,895$1,706 to $2,085
4-bedroom$2,083$1,875 to $2,291

Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Rochester covers up to $1,573 in gross rent, before the tenant's utility allowance. Across the full range a PHA may set: $1,416 to $1,730.

Voucher demand in this metro

Active vouchers
11,520
Occupied
9,557
Utilization
83%

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 Rochester

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

  • Rochester Housing Authority

    Rochester , NY · NY041 · 10,456 HCV units

    Status unknown
    5856973602
  • Newark Housing Authority

    Newark , NY · NY089 · 537 HCV units

    Status unknown
    3153311574
  • Village of Fairport

    Fairport , NY · NY406 · 497 HCV units

    Status unknown
    5854213241
  • Geneva Housing Authority

    Geneva , NY · NY044 · 30 HCV units

    Status unknown
    3157898010

Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Rochester, NY?

No. New York law prohibits landlords from refusing a renter because they pay with a Section 8 voucher. That protection applies in Rochester, NY. If you were turned away for having a voucher, that refusal may be illegal.

NY Human Rights Law §296(5)

NY State Human Rights Law prohibits housing discrimination based on lawful source of income statewide (added by 2019 amendment). Enforcement by NYS Division of Human Rights. Post-Commons West (2024) enforcement in some counties is murky — see county-level notes.

View statute →

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

Counties in the Rochester 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 Rochester?
In the Rochester, NY metro, the FY2026 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,573 per month. A housing authority usually sets its Section 8 payment standard between 90% and 110% of that, roughly $1,416 to $1,730 in gross rent before the tenant's utility allowance.
What are the FY2026 Fair Market Rents in Rochester?
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents for the Rochester, NY metro, by bedroom size: studio $1,116, 1-bedroom $1,256, 2-bedroom $1,573, 3-bedroom $1,895, 4-bedroom $2,083. Section 8 payment standards are based on these figures.
How do I apply for Section 8 in Rochester?
Section 8 in Rochester is administered by Rochester Housing Authority, Newark Housing Authority, Village of Fairport 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 Rochester

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.