Section 8 apartments in New Port Richey FL: what to know in 2025

Last updated 2026-07-10

Who administers Section 8 in New Port Richey?

The Pasco County Housing Authority (PCHA) runs Section 8 for New Port Richey. There is no separate city housing authority. New Port Richey sits inside Pasco County, so PCHA is your agency for everything from the first eligibility check to annual recertification to the monthly payment that lands in your landlord's account.

PCHA administers the Housing Choice Voucher program, which is the formal name for what almost everyone still calls Section 8. Its main office is in New Port Richey at 1919 Grand Blvd. ^[1]

The Florida Housing Finance Corporation oversees affordable housing tax credit properties in the area, but those are a different animal from vouchers. If you already hold a voucher from another Florida PHA or an out-of-state authority, you can port it into Pasco County as long as you meet the portability rules under 24 CFR 982.353. ^[2]

Here is the part people miss. PCHA covers all of Pasco County, which means Zephyrhills, Dade City, Wesley Chapel, and Holiday, more than New Port Richey proper. A landlord on the eastern edge of the county is still inside PCHA's coverage. Your search area is much bigger than the city limits suggest.

Is the Pasco County Section 8 waitlist open right now?

As of mid-2025, PCHA's Housing Choice Voucher waitlist is closed to new applicants. It last opened in 2023. This is the first thing everyone wants to know, and the honest answer is that it changes and you have to check the source directly. PCHA posts waitlist status on its official website and sometimes flags openings through local media and community groups. ^[1]

When the list opens, the window is short. Sometimes as little as 72 hours. Slots fill fast, so an alert through PCHA's site or an aggregator that tracks open Section 8 waiting lists earns its keep here.

HUD requires every housing authority to keep a written waitlist policy and to notify applicants of their approximate position and estimated wait. ^[3] PCHA has historically run two to five year waits even after you make the list, which is normal for smaller Florida PHAs working with tight funding. Nobody posts a precise current wait number publicly. The best you can do is apply, then ask PCHA where you stand.

If the PCHA list is closed, look next door. The Tampa Housing Authority in Hillsborough County and the Pinellas County Housing Authority both run their own programs within commuting distance. Once you have a voucher from either one, porting it into a Pasco unit is on the table.

What are the payment standards and Fair Market Rents for New Port Richey?

Payment standards are the most PCHA will pay toward your rent and utilities combined. PCHA sets them as a percentage of HUD's Fair Market Rents for the metro area. New Port Richey falls inside the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. ^[4]

HUD publishes new FMRs each federal fiscal year, starting October 1. Here are the FY 2025 numbers for the Tampa metro.

Unit size	FY 2025 FMR
Efficiency (studio)	$1,285
1-bedroom	$1,370
2-bedroom	$1,658
3-bedroom	$2,145
4-bedroom	$2,501

These are gross rent figures, meaning rent plus any utilities the tenant pays. PCHA sets its own payment standard somewhere between 90% and 110% of FMR under 24 CFR 982.503. ^[5] As of 2024, PCHA was running standards at or near the 110% level for most bedroom sizes, which tracks the tight Tampa Bay rental market. Confirm the current number with PCHA, because it resets every year.

You pay the gap between the payment standard and the actual rent, plus any utilities the landlord does not cover. HUD caps your share at 40% of adjusted monthly income at initial lease-up. ^[5] So if a two-bedroom rents for $1,800 and the payment standard is $1,750, you owe $50 in rent plus your utility share.

How do you find Section 8 apartments for rent in New Port Richey?

Finding a landlord who takes your voucher is the hardest part of this whole process. A few methods actually move the needle.

Go Section 8 (gosection8.com) is the most-used third-party listing site for Section 8 houses for rent and apartments. Filter by zip code, bedroom count, and accessibility features. Listings in New Port Richey (zip codes 34652, 34653, 34654, 34655) come up regularly, though plenty are stale. Call before you show up. ^[6]

Affordable Housing Online (affordablehousingonline.com) and HUD's own rental assistance resource locator sometimes catch subsidized units that gosection8.com misses. ^[7]

Then there is direct outreach, which people skip and shouldn't. Plenty of small landlords in Pasco County have never thought about vouchers but would say yes if you asked well. Bring your voucher paperwork, a short plain explanation of how the program pays, and PCHA's landlord contact to every showing. A lot of the no answers come from misunderstanding, and a clear pitch flips some of them.

New construction low income housing tax credit properties are worth a look too. These are privately owned, income-restricted communities. They are not voucher housing, but many LIHTC properties accept vouchers, and they tend to be in better shape because they were built or renovated recently. Pasco County has opened several LIHTC developments around Wesley Chapel and Trinity in the past few years. Florida Housing Finance Corporation keeps a searchable database of funded properties. ^[8]

Seniors have their own lane. Dedicated low income senior housing communities operate in and around New Port Richey, including HUD Section 202 properties that carry their own subsidy. At those, you may not need a voucher at all, just income and age documentation.

Does new construction Section 8 housing exist in New Port Richey?

Yes, but the supply is thin and it competes with market-rate renters. Florida Housing Finance Corporation has awarded Low Income Housing Tax Credits to Pasco County developers several times in the past five years. The buildings that result get called new port richey section 8 new construction in casual searches, but that label is loose. They are affordable by design, not subsidized by HUD directly, and they take vouchers when the owner opts in. ^[8]

The difference is practical, not academic. A LIHTC unit has its rent locked at 50% or 60% of Area Median Income by the financing terms, not by any one tenant's income. A voucher holder at 30% AMI still pays only 30% of their adjusted income in that unit, with PCHA covering the rest up to the payment standard. A tenant without a voucher who qualifies at 60% AMI pays the full LIHTC rent.

Public housing and project-based Section 8 are separate categories again. New Port Richey has a small stock of older Section 8 project-based units under Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) contracts. The subsidy sticks to the apartment, not to you, so you apply for that specific property instead of carrying a portable voucher. PCHA or HUD's Office of Multifamily Housing can tell you which Pasco properties have active PBRA contracts. ^[9]

What does the HUD inspection process look like for a New Port Richey rental?

No inspection, no payment. Before PCHA sends a landlord a single dollar, the unit has to pass a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection, and that is not negotiable under 24 CFR 982.401. ^[10] The inspector walks the unit against roughly 13 categories: heating and cooling, electrical, plumbing, structural soundness, smoke detectors, and lead-based paint hazards in pre-1978 homes.

The inspection costs the landlord nothing. Scheduling one usually takes one to three weeks in Pasco County after the landlord turns in the Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA). If the unit fails, the landlord gets a repair window, normally 30 days for non-emergency items, then a re-inspection. Critical health and safety defects fail the unit on the spot, and no HAP contract starts until the fixes are verified.

For tenants, the takeaway is blunt. Do not give notice at your current place or hand over a deposit until the RFTA is in and you have a real read on whether the unit passes. Landlords sometimes run out of patience during the inspection window and rent to a market-rate applicant instead. That happens. The best guard against it is choosing landlords who have worked with PCHA before and know the timeline.

New construction units almost always pass the first inspection, because they were built to current code. That is one concrete reason to chase newer properties when you can find them.

How much rent can a landlord charge a Section 8 tenant in New Port Richey?

A landlord cannot charge a Section 8 tenant more than they charge comparable unassisted tenants for similar units. This is the rent reasonableness rule, and PCHA has to approve the rent before it signs a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract. ^[5]

PCHA checks the proposed rent against recently leased comparable units in the same area. Say a landlord asks $1,900 for a two-bedroom but comparable units in the same zip code rent for $1,700. PCHA approves up to about $1,700, and the landlord decides whether to drop the ask or pass on the voucher tenant.

Landlords also cannot bill the tenant separately for things already baked into the approved rent, like parking when it is standard for the property. Security deposits have to match what unassisted tenants pay and are governed by Florida landlord-tenant law under Florida Statute 83.49. ^[11]

For landlords running the numbers: PCHA's HAP payments arrive by ACH, usually on the first of the month. Vacancy risk during a tenancy runs lower than with a market-rate renter, because PCHA keeps paying its share as long as the tenant stays and stays compliant. The program does not cover rent if the tenant leaves early, so that risk is still yours.

How does porting a voucher to or from New Port Richey work?

Portability lets you move your voucher to a new jurisdiction once you clear the issuing PHA's initial lease-up rules. Under 24 CFR 982.353, a family may move with continued assistance "to any area where there is a PHA administering a tenant-based program." ^[2]

Hold a voucher from Tampa (Hillsborough County) or Clearwater (Pinellas County) and want New Port Richey? You request portability from your issuing PHA. They notify PCHA, and PCHA takes over managing the voucher locally, which is called absorbing it. PCHA can either absorb the voucher or administer it and bill the cost back to the issuing PHA. Confirm the current choice with PCHA's portability coordinator.

Going the other way, if you have a PCHA voucher and want out, you generally need to finish your initial lease term (at least 12 months) or get an approved exception. Then PCHA sends your paperwork to the receiving PHA. The receiving PHA's payment standards apply in the new spot, and that can shift your benefit a lot.

One tip that saves people real grief: start the portability paperwork at least 60 days before your voucher expires. Processing between two PHAs eats time, and extensions are never guaranteed.

What are tenants' rights under Section 8 in Pasco County?

Voucher holders keep every tenant right anyone else has under Florida's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Chapter 83, Florida Statutes), plus a layer of protections the voucher program adds. ^[11]

A landlord cannot end a HAP contract or evict a voucher tenant without following both Florida eviction procedure and HUD's lease termination rules. HUD's model lease addendum, which PCHA staples to every lease, spells out the allowed grounds and notice periods. ^[3] A landlord who tries to evict for a reason the addendum does not allow risks losing the HAP contract.

PCHA also has to offer an informal hearing before it terminates your assistance. Under 24 CFR 982.555, you have the right to examine PCHA's evidence, present your own, and be represented by counsel at that hearing. ^[10] This matters more than it sounds. PHAs have cut vouchers over unreported income or lease violations, and tenants who never knew about the hearing right lost help they could have kept.

Here is the gap. Florida has no statewide source-of-income discrimination law as of 2025, so landlords in Pasco County can legally refuse voucher holders. A few Florida municipalities have passed local protections, but New Port Richey and Pasco County have not. Tenant advocates have been pushing on this at the state level.

What income limits apply for Section 8 in New Port Richey?

Section 8 eligibility runs on income. HUD sets the limits every year for each metro area. For the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA in FY 2025, the limits look like this. ^[12]

Household size	Very Low Income (50% AMI)	Extremely Low Income (30% AMI)
1 person	$36,250	$21,750
2 people	$41,400	$24,850
3 people	$46,600	$27,950
4 people	$51,800	$31,050
5 people	$55,950	$33,550

To get a voucher, you generally have to be at or below 50% of AMI. But HUD requires PHAs to give at least 75% of new voucher admissions to households at or below 30% of AMI, the Extremely Low Income tier. ^[3] In practice, most Pasco County vouchers go to households well under the 50% line.

Citizenship and immigration status count too. At least one household member has to be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, and mixed-status households can get prorated assistance. PCHA runs background checks, and certain drug-related or violent convictions can trigger denial, though PHAs have some discretion in how they apply the rules.

Tips for landlords considering Section 8 in New Port Richey

Landlords new to PCHA usually overrate the hassle and underrate the stability. The HAP payment shows up every month whether or not the tenant is short on cash, because PCHA pays its portion directly. You still collect the tenant's share yourself, but that share is usually a small slice of the total.

The real friction is the initial inspection and the annual re-inspection. Both are manageable if the unit is in decent shape. Fix what you already know is broken before the inspector shows up. The HQS checklist is public on HUD's website and covers functional stove burners, working smoke detectors on every floor, no peeling paint in pre-1978 units, and secure exterior doors. ^[10] Walking that list yourself saves weeks of back-and-forth.

PCHA has a landlord liaison who helps new owners understand the paperwork and the timeline. Call them before you list a unit. Twenty minutes, and worth it. The RFTA form, the HAP contract, and the lease addendum are all standard documents, and once you run through them once, the next lease moves fast.

For owners who want a structured toolkit, VoucherReady sells a one-time landlord kit that walks through the RFTA, HAP contract terms, and HQS prep in plain language. It cuts the learning curve the first time through.

One thing not to do: list a unit as Section 8 on Craigslist or a general platform before you are actually ready to complete the RFTA. Voucher holders have expiration deadlines. Wasting their time with a unit that cannot really go through the process does real harm.

How does the rental assistance amount actually get calculated?

The math behind PCHA's payment is worth understanding, because it drives what you can afford and what your landlord actually collects.

Start with your Total Tenant Payment (TTP). PCHA takes the highest of four numbers: 30% of monthly adjusted income, 10% of monthly gross income, the welfare rent if it applies, or PCHA's minimum rent (HUD allows a minimum up to $50). ^[5] That TTP is what you owe toward gross rent each month.

Gross rent is the contract rent (what you pay the landlord) plus the utility allowance (PCHA's estimate of utility cost for that unit size and type). PCHA pays the landlord the difference between gross rent and your TTP, up to the payment standard. If gross rent runs over the payment standard, the extra comes out of your pocket, capped at 40% of income at initial lease-up.

Run a real example. A family with $1,800 monthly adjusted income rents a two-bedroom at $1,700 with a $100 utility allowance. TTP is 30% of $1,800, or $540. Gross rent is $1,800. PCHA pays $1,800 minus $540, or $1,260, to the landlord. The family pays $540, but since $100 of that covers utilities, the actual rent check is $440.

That is why the utility allowance matters so much. If the landlord pays all utilities and the unit is all-bills-included, contract rent and gross rent are the same, and PCHA's payment runs higher. You can model different scenarios against PCHA's published utility allowance schedule, which it has to make available under 24 CFR 982.517. ^[10]

Want to model your own share before you find a unit? VoucherReady's free voucher tools let you plug in local payment standards and income to see estimated tenant shares across a range of rents.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Pasco County Section 8 waitlist open in 2025?

As of mid-2025, the Pasco County Housing Authority's Housing Choice Voucher waitlist is closed to new applicants. It last opened in 2023. PCHA posts updates on its official website when openings happen, and the windows are short, sometimes 72 hours. Check the PCHA site regularly, or watch aggregators that track open Section 8 waiting lists across Florida.

How do I apply for Section 8 in New Port Richey?

Applications go through the Pasco County Housing Authority at 1919 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey. You can only apply when the waitlist is open, and applications are usually submitted online through PCHA's portal. Have proof of income, identification for every household member, Social Security numbers, and documentation of any disabilities or special circumstances that could affect your preference status.

How long is the Section 8 wait in Pasco County?

Historical PCHA waits have run two to five years from placement on the list to receiving a voucher. Actual time depends on funding, how many vouchers HUD allocates to PCHA each year, and your preference status. Preferences for homeless households, veterans, and working families can move you up. No precise current wait time is posted publicly.

Can I use a Section 8 voucher from another county in New Port Richey?

Yes. Voucher portability under 24 CFR 982.353 lets you move your subsidy to any jurisdiction where a PHA operates. Hold a voucher from Hillsborough or Pinellas County, and you can request portability to Pasco County after finishing your initial lease term, usually 12 months. PCHA then manages the voucher locally. Start the process at least 60 days before your voucher expires.

What zip codes in New Port Richey are covered by PCHA vouchers?

PCHA covers all of Pasco County, including New Port Richey zip codes 34652, 34653, 34654, and 34655. Port Richey (34668) and Holiday (34690, 34691) fall under the same authority, as do Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, and Dade City. One PCHA voucher lets you search for units across all of these areas.

Do New Port Richey landlords have to accept Section 8?

No. Florida has no statewide source-of-income protection law as of 2025, and Pasco County has not enacted a local ordinance requiring landlords to accept vouchers. Landlords can legally decline voucher holders. Many who avoid the program simply do not understand it, so explaining the process clearly, including PCHA's direct monthly HAP payments, sometimes turns a no into a yes.

What does a Section 8 inspection check for in a New Port Richey apartment?

PCHA inspectors follow HUD's Housing Quality Standards under 24 CFR 982.401. They check heating and cooling, electrical and plumbing function, smoke detectors on every level, structural soundness, window security, sanitation, and lead paint condition in pre-1978 buildings. The inspection is free for landlords. Units built after 1978 and to current code usually pass on the first visit.

How much does Section 8 pay toward rent in New Port Richey?

PCHA pays the difference between the tenant's Total Tenant Payment and the gross rent, up to the payment standard. For FY 2025, the Tampa metro two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $1,658, and PCHA's payment standard runs 90% to 110% of that. A family paying 30% of income typically sees PCHA cover most of the rent, paid straight to the landlord by monthly ACH.

Are there new Section 8 apartments being built in New Port Richey?

Several Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties have gone up in Pasco County recently, especially around Wesley Chapel and Trinity. These income-restricted units often accept Housing Choice Vouchers. They are not public housing, but they are affordable by financing terms and usually in better condition than older stock. Florida Housing Finance Corporation's database lists LIHTC properties by county.

What is the income limit for Section 8 in New Port Richey?

For FY 2025, the Very Low Income limit (50% of Area Median Income) for a family of four in the Tampa metro is $51,800. Most vouchers go to households at 30% AMI or below, which is $31,050 for a family of four. HUD requires at least 75% of new PCHA voucher admissions to serve households at the Extremely Low Income tier.

Can seniors find Section 8 housing in New Port Richey specifically for older adults?

Yes. New Port Richey and the surrounding Pasco County area have HUD Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly properties, which carry their own project-based subsidy. Age-restricted LIHTC communities operate in the area too. Senior voucher holders can use a voucher with any participating landlord, or apply directly to age-restricted subsidized properties without needing a voucher at all.

What happens if my Section 8 apartment in New Port Richey fails inspection?

PCHA gives the landlord a repair period, usually 30 days for non-emergency deficiencies, before scheduling a re-inspection. Emergency health and safety failures need immediate correction. If the unit fails re-inspection, no HAP contract gets signed and you cannot move in under the voucher. You would then find another unit or ask PCHA to extend your voucher search period.

What is the difference between project-based and tenant-based Section 8 in New Port Richey?

Tenant-based vouchers (Housing Choice Vouchers) travel with you. You find any qualifying unit, and PCHA pays the landlord. Project-based rental assistance is tied to a specific apartment, so when you leave, the subsidy stays with the unit. New Port Richey has a small number of project-based Section 8 units under HUD Multifamily contracts. You apply to those properties directly, not through the standard voucher waitlist.

Can I use gosection8.com to find rentals in New Port Richey?

Yes. Searches for go section 8 new port richey on gosection8.com return area listings filtered by zip code and bedroom size. The site aggregates landlord-posted voucher-friendly units. Verify each listing by phone before visiting, since some are outdated or already rented. It is the most-used starting point, but pair it with direct landlord outreach and PCHA's own referral resources.

Sources

1. Pasco County Housing Authority, official agency page: Pasco County Housing Authority administers the Housing Choice Voucher program for all of Pasco County, including New Port Richey, from its office at 1919 Grand Blvd.
2. HUD, 24 CFR Part 982 Housing Choice Voucher Program regulations: Under 24 CFR 982.353, a family with a voucher may move with continued assistance to any area where a PHA administers a tenant-based program, subject to portability rules.
3. HUD, Housing Choice Voucher Program Guidebook (7420.10G): PHAs must serve at least 75% of new voucher admissions to households at or below 30% of AMI, and must maintain written waitlist policies with applicant notification requirements.
4. HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2025 Fair Market Rents for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL HUD Metro FMR Area: FY 2025 Fair Market Rents for the Tampa metro are $1,285 (studio), $1,370 (1BR), $1,658 (2BR), $2,145 (3BR), and $2,501 (4BR).
5. HUD, 24 CFR 982.503 and 982.508, payment standards and rent burden rules: PHAs set payment standards between 90% and 110% of FMR under 24 CFR 982.503; tenant share cannot exceed 40% of adjusted monthly income at initial lease-up under 24 CFR 982.508.
6. GoSection8.com, voucher-friendly rental listing platform: GoSection8.com allows filtered searches for Section 8-friendly rentals by zip code and bedroom count, including listings in New Port Richey zip codes 34652-34655.
7. HUD, Rental Assistance topic page: HUD's rental assistance resource locator lists subsidized properties and PHA contacts for renters seeking affordable housing across the country.
8. HUD Office of Multifamily Housing Programs, project-based rental assistance: Project-Based Rental Assistance contracts attach the subsidy to specific units rather than to tenants; applicants apply to the property directly rather than through a portable voucher waitlist.
9. HUD, 24 CFR 982.401 Housing Quality Standards, 982.517 utility allowances, and 982.555 informal hearings: HQS inspection covers 13 categories including heating, electrical, plumbing, smoke detectors, and lead paint; utility allowance schedules must be public under 24 CFR 982.517; tenants have informal hearing rights under 24 CFR 982.555.
10. Florida Legislature, Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Chapter 83, Florida Statutes: Florida Statute 83.49 governs security deposit procedures; Chapter 83 establishes landlord and tenant rights applicable to all Florida residential tenancies including Section 8.
11. HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2025 Income Limits, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA: FY 2025 Very Low Income limit (50% AMI) for a four-person household in the Tampa metro is $51,800; Extremely Low Income limit (30% AMI) is $31,050.