Section 8 in Santa Cruz, CA, CA: Rent Limits and Housing Authorities
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 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) | $3,179 | $2,861 to $3,497 |
| 1-bedroom | $3,298 | $2,968 to $3,628 |
| 2-bedroom | $4,214 | $3,793 to $4,635 |
| 3-bedroom | $5,377 | $4,839 to $5,915 |
| 4-bedroom | $5,659 | $5,093 to $6,225 |
Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Santa Cruz covers up to $4,214 in gross rent, before the tenant's utility allowance. Across the full range a PHA may set: $3,793 to $4,635.
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 Santa Cruz
1 PHA administer vouchers in this metro. Apply with (or contact) the PHA that covers the specific address.
- Status unknown
Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz
Capitola , CA · CA072 · 5,674 HCV units
8314549455
Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Santa Cruz, CA?
No. California law prohibits landlords from refusing a renter because they pay with a Section 8 voucher. That protection applies in Santa Cruz, CA. If you were turned away for having a voucher, that refusal may be illegal.
California FEHA source-of-income protection (SB 329 / Gov. Code 12955)
Statewide: landlords may not refuse Section 8/HCV vouchers as a source of income.
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 Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz?
- In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro, the FY2026 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $4,214 per month. A housing authority usually sets its Section 8 payment standard between 90% and 110% of that, roughly $3,793 to $4,635 in gross rent before the tenant's utility allowance.
- What are the FY2026 Fair Market Rents in Santa Cruz?
- HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro, by bedroom size: studio $3,179, 1-bedroom $3,298, 2-bedroom $4,214, 3-bedroom $5,377, 4-bedroom $5,659. Section 8 payment standards are based on these figures.
- How do I apply for Section 8 in Santa Cruz?
- Section 8 in Santa Cruz is administered by Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz. 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 Santa Cruz
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 CA
Rent limits from HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent data. Investor running the numbers? The RentalCalcs voucher analyzer uses this same dataset.