Chicago Housing Authority vouchers: how the program works in 2025

Last updated 2026-07-09

What is the Chicago Housing Authority and what does it do?

The Chicago Housing Authority is the public housing agency (PHA) that runs federally funded housing assistance in Chicago, Illinois. It operates under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which funds the program and sets the rules through 24 CFR Part 982. CHA handles the day-to-day work: issuing vouchers, setting local payment standards, inspecting units, and paying landlords. ^[1]

CHA is one of the largest PHAs in the country. It manages two main kinds of assistance. One is the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, which most people still call Section 8. The other is its own public housing developments. This article stays on the voucher side, because that's what most Chicagoans are waiting for and what gives a family the most freedom to rent in the private market.

The difference matters. A housing choice voucher program voucher lets you rent almost any privately owned unit that passes inspection, as long as the landlord agrees to participate. Public housing puts you in a CHA-owned building. Both come with long waits. The voucher gives you geographic choice, and that choice is the whole point.

What is a housing voucher and how does it work?

A housing voucher, formally a Housing Choice Voucher under Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937, is a rent subsidy you carry to a private landlord. You find the apartment. You sign the lease. CHA pays part of the rent straight to the landlord every month, and you pay the rest.

The math runs like this. CHA sets a Payment Standard for each bedroom size in each part of the city. That's the most CHA will pay toward rent and utilities combined. If the gross rent (rent plus any tenant-paid utilities) sits at or below the Payment Standard, CHA pays the difference between that gross rent and 30% of your adjusted monthly income. Earn $1,500 a month adjusted, and you pay about $450 toward rent. CHA covers the rest. ^[2]

Pick a unit that rents above the Payment Standard and you pay the extra on top of your 30%. CHA will only approve that unit if your total share stays at or under 40% of your gross monthly income at move-in. That cap comes from 24 CFR 982.508. ^[3]

The landlord collects two payments: yours and CHA's. CHA pays by direct deposit, usually on or around the first of the month. To see how rental assistance compares across program types, it helps to line up HCV against project-based vouchers and public housing.

What are CHA's current payment standards for 2025?

Payment standards are CHA's local rent ceilings, set as a percentage of HUD's Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for the Chicago metro. A PHA can set standards between 90% and 110% of the FMR on its own, or up to 120% with HUD approval. CHA adjusts them periodically, so pull the current schedule from cha.gov before you sign anything. ^[4]

HUD's FY2025 Fair Market Rents for the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet HUD Metro area (which covers Cook County and nearby counties) ran in the Federal Register. HUD uses the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard FMRs, or the 50th percentile for higher-cost designated zip codes. ^[5]

Bedroom Size	HUD FY2025 FMR (Cook County)	Typical CHA Payment Standard Range
SRO (0-BR equivalent)	~$1,008	varies by unit type
1-Bedroom	~$1,344	~$1,210, $1,478
2-Bedroom	~$1,579	~$1,421, $1,737
3-Bedroom	~$1,993	~$1,794, $2,192
4-Bedroom	~$2,177	~$1,959, $2,395

These are approximations from published FMR data. CHA's real 2025 standards may differ, so confirm them at cha.gov before you make any financial decision. ^[4]

Chicago is a designated Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR) area, which sets payment standards at the zip-code level instead of one number for the whole metro. That's a real detail with money attached: a voucher holder moving to Lincoln Park faces a higher ceiling than one moving to South Shore. Your subsidy stretches differently depending on the zip code.

How do you get a voucher for housing through CHA?

Getting a CHA voucher takes several steps, and the honest bottleneck is the waitlist. Here's how it runs from start to finish.

Step 1: Apply when the waitlist opens. CHA's HCV waitlist isn't open all the time. It opens for short windows, usually through a lottery or a first-come online application. When it's open, you apply at cha.gov. The 2014 opening drew more than 280,000 applications for a small fraction of that number of spots. ^[6] Sign up for CHA email alerts so you catch the next opening. You can also track open Section 8 waiting lists across Illinois PHAs, since a nearby agency may have a shorter line.

Step 2: Wait. CHA pulls names from the waitlist by random lottery as vouchers free up. Chicago waits have historically run five to ten years, sometimes longer, depending on your lottery position and which preference categories apply. Nobody has published a precise current average, because it swings so hard by preference category.

Step 3: Eligibility screening. When your name reaches the top, CHA contacts you and checks eligibility. You have to meet income limits, be a U.S. citizen or have eligible immigration status, and pass a criminal background check. HUD sets income limits at 30%, 50%, and 80% of area median income (AMI). By law, at least 75% of new HCV admissions each year go to households at or below 30% of AMI. ^[2] For 2025, 30% of AMI for a family of four in the Chicago metro is roughly $30,900, and HUD revises these figures every year. ^[5]

Step 4: Briefing and voucher issuance. Once you're approved, CHA holds an HCV briefing that explains the rules, your payment amount, and what unit types you can rent. You get your voucher and a search period, usually 60 days. CHA can grant extensions.

Step 5: Find a unit, request inspection. You find an apartment, the landlord submits a Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA), and CHA inspects the unit against HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS). Pass, and CHA signs a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract with the landlord. Then you move in.

For how housing authority programs run nationally, the mechanics look similar city to city. Payment standards and wait times are what change.

Who qualifies for a CHA housing voucher?

CHA follows HUD's eligibility rules, which cover income, citizenship or immigration status, and household makeup.

Income is the main screen. CHA gives admission preference to very low-income families (at or below 50% AMI) and, inside that group, prioritizes extremely low-income families (at or below 30% AMI). By law, 75% of annual HCV admissions have to be households at or below 30% AMI. ^[2] Above 50% of AMI, you're generally not eligible, though CHA can use a slightly higher limit in a few situations.

Local preferences can move you up the lottery. Per CHA's HCV Administrative Plan, preferences include CHA public housing residents displaced by development, households with a veteran family member, and working families. Those categories live in the Administrative Plan, a public document posted at cha.gov. ^[6]

Criminal history is a real factor. CHA screens every adult in the household. Some convictions are mandatory denials under federal law at 24 CFR 982.553, including drug-related convictions for manufacturing or distributing methamphetamine in federally assisted housing, and lifetime sex offender registration. Other criminal history gets reviewed case by case under CHA's own criteria. ^[3]

If you were evicted from HUD-assisted housing for drug-related activity, federal law imposes a mandatory three-year wait from the eviction date before you can reapply.

Is CHA's Section 8 waitlist open right now?

As of mid-2025, CHA's HCV waitlist is closed, and CHA has not announced a reopening date. That's the usual pattern here. The waitlist opens rarely, pulls in enormous demand, and closes again.

The surest way to hear about a reopening is to create an account at cha.gov and turn on notifications. Watch Chicago-area news too, since a large opening tends to make headlines.

If you can't wait for CHA specifically, look at these:

• Other Cook County PHAs. The Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) serves suburban Cook County with its own HCV program and a separate waitlist. Its wait differs from CHA's.
• Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA). IHDA runs some state-funded rental assistance programs.
• Emergency Rental Assistance. The City of Chicago and Cook County have both run emergency rental aid funded by Treasury ERA money, though the big 2021 federal allocations are mostly spent by 2025.
• HUD-subsidized properties. Some buildings hold project-based Section 8 or Low Income Housing Tax Credit units on their own waitlists. These don't move with you, but they can get you into subsidized housing faster. ^[7]

The HUD housing overview maps the full federal assistance picture.

How does CHA pay landlords and what do landlords need to do?

A landlord who wants to take CHA vouchers goes through a few steps before any money shows up. You list the unit and wait for a voucher holder to reach out, or you post on platforms built for Section 8 renters. CHA doesn't run a central landlord-matching service, though some third-party tools do.

Once a voucher holder wants the unit, you submit a Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) packet to CHA. CHA reviews your asking rent for reasonableness against similar unassisted units nearby. Clear that, and CHA schedules an inspection. ^[1]

The inspection checks HUD Housing Quality Standards: working smoke detectors, no peeling lead paint, adequate heat, sound windows and doors. Fail, and you get a short window to fix the problems and ask for a re-inspection. A unit that fails re-inspection gets no HAP contract.

After the unit passes and the HAP contract is signed, CHA pays you by direct deposit each month. The rent splits into CHA's share and the tenant's share, and you collect both. If the tenant stops paying their portion, that's a landlord-tenant matter under Illinois law, not something CHA handles.

One rule protects voucher holders here. Illinois enacted a statewide source-of-income anti-discrimination law, Public Act 101-0565, effective January 1, 2020, that covers every Illinois landlord. Chicago also has a local source-of-income ordinance. Together they generally bar a landlord from turning down an applicant just because they hold a voucher. ^[8]

For landlords weighing the decision, go section 8 listings and section 8 houses for rent searches show what's out there and how much competition you face. VoucherReady's landlord kit walks through the inspection checklist and the RFTA paperwork, which saves time on your first HCV lease.

What happens after you get a CHA voucher? Finding a unit in Chicago

The voucher does nothing on its own. You have to find a willing landlord, a unit that passes inspection, and a rent CHA will approve. In Chicago's tight rental market, that's harder than the paperwork makes it sound.

Your voucher comes with a deadline. CHA usually gives 60 days to start. You can ask for an extension if you show good-faith effort, meaning documented applications and landlord rejections. CHA has discretion on extensions under 24 CFR 982.303. ^[3]

Search tips that actually move the needle in Chicago:

• Look where the Payment Standard covers market rent. In high-demand areas like Wicker Park or Lincoln Park, the SAFMR standard runs higher, so more units fall in range. In lower-SAFMR areas your subsidy is smaller in raw dollars, but the market rents are lower too.
• Call landlords before you tour. Some have never done HCV and would consider it, but they don't advertise that way. Explain it plainly: guaranteed monthly payment from CHA, steady income.
• Start the day you get the voucher. Don't lose two weeks.
• If CHA assigns you a mobility counselor through its contracted mobility services, use them. They know which landlords say yes.

CHA also runs a mandatory rent reasonableness test. If comparable units nearby rent for $1,400 and you bring an RFTA for $1,800, CHA won't approve it. The landlord lowers the rent or you find another unit.

Once you're housed, you stay tied to CHA through annual recertifications. Every year (or every two years for some household types) CHA rechecks your income and household to recalculate your subsidy. A big income change can shift your rent share between reviews too.

Can you port a CHA voucher to another city or state?

Yes. After you've lived in CHA's jurisdiction for at least 12 months with your voucher, or if you already live in Chicago, you can port your voucher to another PHA's jurisdiction under 24 CFR 982.353. Portability is one of the program's best features, and it's the reason HCV vouchers get called portable. ^[3]

Here's the process. You tell CHA you want to port. CHA issues a portability packet to the receiving PHA where you want to live. The receiving PHA either absorbs the voucher into its own program or bills CHA for the subsidy. Either way, you follow the receiving PHA's rules and payment standards in the new city. That can help you (higher standards in some markets) or hurt you (lower standards in others).

Porting out of Chicago often makes sense when you're already housed by CHA and want to relocate for work, family, or a cheaper market. Porting into Chicago requires CHA to agree to absorb or bill and requires you to find a unit under Chicago's payment standards.

The timing of a move and how you protect your subsidy during a port are worth reading about on their own.

What tenant rights do CHA voucher holders have?

Voucher holders have rights under both federal program rules and Illinois and Chicago tenant law.

Under the HCV program, your federal rights include an informal hearing if CHA denies your application or ends your assistance ^[3], the right to move with your voucher after the initial lease term (or before it ends with landlord approval), the right to request a reasonable accommodation if you have a disability, and a 30-day notice before CHA terminates your assistance for program violations.

Under Illinois and Chicago law, you get protection against source-of-income discrimination (no rejection just for holding a voucher, under Illinois Public Act 101-0565 ^[8]), coverage by Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO), which governs security deposits, repairs, and eviction procedure, and fair housing protection under the Fair Housing Act. ^[9]

Here's the point people miss most. CHA can't evict you from your privately rented unit. Only the landlord can, and they have to go through Illinois court. CHA can terminate your voucher for program violations, which is a separate and very bad outcome, but losing your voucher is not the same thing as an eviction.

If CHA moves to terminate your assistance, request an informal hearing right away. You can present evidence and answer the allegations before CHA follows through. Don't skip it. Plenty of terminations get reversed or softened at the hearing stage.

For a fuller look at your rights as a voucher-assisted tenant, the housing section 8 program overview covers fair housing, lease terms, and what a landlord can and can't do.

How does CHA compare to other large city housing authorities?

Size and structure shape how long you wait and what support you get. Here's where CHA sits next to its peers.

Housing Authority	City	Approx. HCV Vouchers Administered	Notes
NYCHA	New York City	~85,000	Largest in U.S., public housing-heavy
HACLA	Los Angeles	~25,000+	High demand, long waits
CHA	Chicago	~36,000	2nd largest Midwest
PHA	Philadelphia	~18,000	Comparable metro
HACC	Cook County (suburban)	~16,000	Separate from CHA

Sources: HUD PIC data and agency annual reports. Figures are approximate and shift year to year. ^[10]

CHA has changed a lot since the 1990s, including the federal Plan for Transformation that tore down most of its high-rise public housing and pushed more residents toward vouchers. That history explains part of why the voucher waitlist runs so long. The public housing supply shrank, demand for vouchers grew, and federal funding never caught up to the need.

Where does CHA fit in the broader HUD housing system?

CHA is one of roughly 3,300 public housing agencies nationwide that run HUD programs locally. HUD provides the money, writes the rules through the Code of Federal Regulations (mainly 24 CFR Parts 5 and 982), and monitors how CHA performs. CHA has a Board of Commissioners appointed by the Mayor of Chicago and is a unit of local government, not a city department. ^[1]

HUD scores PHAs through the Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP), which grades them on things like correct rent calculations, units passing inspection, and efficient use of voucher funding. A PHA that keeps under-leasing (holding vouchers it isn't using) can lose funding. That's a real reason to keep the waitlist moving.

If you want the source material, start with HUD directly. HUD's Office of Public and Indian Housing publishes guidance, notices, and the annual FMRs that set the ceiling for every PHA's payment standards. ^[5]

VoucherReady's free tenant tools estimate your likely rent share before you ever reach the top of a waitlist, which helps with budgeting when the wait might run years.

Lower-income seniors have more than one route. The low income senior housing landscape includes HCV vouchers, Section 202 elderly housing, and LIHTC properties, each with its own access path. And if you're a developer or investor thinking about supply, understanding low income housing tax credit properties explains how much of Chicago's affordable housing gets built and how voucher holders can use LIHTC units.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a voucher for housing through CHA?

You apply when CHA opens its Housing Choice Voucher waitlist, which happens every few years by lottery. When it's open, apply at cha.gov. After the lottery, CHA contacts you as your name reaches the top, verifies income and eligibility, issues your voucher, and gives you about 60 days to find a qualifying unit. The biggest obstacle is the wait, which has historically run five to ten years in Chicago.

What is a housing voucher exactly?

A housing voucher, formally a Housing Choice Voucher under Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937, is a federal rent subsidy you carry to a private landlord. You pay about 30% of your adjusted monthly income toward rent, and the housing authority pays the rest straight to the landlord, up to a local cap called the Payment Standard. You pick the unit, and the subsidy travels with you.

How long is the CHA voucher waitlist?

Nobody publishes a precise average, because it depends on preference categories and how many vouchers turn over each year. Historically, Chicago applicants have waited anywhere from five to more than ten years. Households in CHA's local preference categories (displaced CHA residents, veterans, working families) move up faster. The waitlist is closed as of mid-2025.

What income do you need to qualify for a CHA voucher?

You generally need to be at or below 50% of area median income (AMI) for the Chicago metro, and 75% of new vouchers each year must go to households at or below 30% AMI. For 2025, 30% of AMI for a family of four in Cook County is roughly $30,900, and HUD revises this annually. Check HUD's income limit tables at huduser.gov for your household size.

Can a Chicago landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher?

No, not legally. Illinois Public Act 101-0565, effective January 1, 2020, bars landlords statewide from refusing to rent based on source of income, which includes housing vouchers. Chicago also has a local source-of-income ordinance. A landlord can still screen on credit, rental history, and income, but rejecting an applicant only because of a voucher breaks state law.

What does CHA inspect before approving a rental unit?

CHA inspects against HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS): working heat and plumbing, smoke detectors on every level, no peeling lead paint, sound windows and doors, and sanitary conditions overall. Fail, and the landlord gets a chance to fix the problems and request a re-inspection. A unit that fails re-inspection gets no Housing Assistance Payments contract.

Can I use a CHA voucher outside Chicago?

Yes. After living in CHA's jurisdiction for at least 12 months with your voucher, you can port it to another city or state under 24 CFR 982.353. You notify CHA, which sends a portability packet to the receiving housing authority. You then follow that agency's rules and payment standards. Porting helps when you're relocating for work or family, or when another market fits you better.

How is rent calculated with a CHA voucher?

You pay about 30% of your adjusted monthly income toward rent. CHA pays the difference up to the Payment Standard for your bedroom size and zip code. Pick a unit above the Payment Standard, and you cover that gap on top of your 30%, but your total share can't top 40% of your gross monthly income at move-in, per 24 CFR 982.508.

What is CHA's Small Area Fair Market Rent and how does it affect my voucher?

Chicago is a HUD-designated Small Area FMR (SAFMR) area, so CHA sets payment standards by zip code rather than one number for the whole metro. High-cost zip codes get higher standards, and lower-cost areas get lower ones. This helps if you're moving to a higher-cost neighborhood, because your subsidy ceiling there beats what a metro-wide FMR would give you.

What happens if CHA tries to terminate my voucher?

You have the right to request an informal hearing before CHA can end your assistance, under 24 CFR 982.555. Request it in writing right away when the notice arrives. At the hearing you can present evidence, bring witnesses, and challenge CHA's findings. Many terminations get reversed or reduced here. Missing the deadline to request a hearing usually waives your right to contest the decision.

Does CHA have any preference for seniors or people with disabilities?

CHA doesn't apply a blanket senior preference to its main HCV waitlist, but people with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations throughout the process, including extended search deadlines. Separately, CHA administers vouchers set aside for non-elderly disabled households (NED vouchers) and other targeted programs. Seniors should also look at HUD Section 202 supportive housing, which keeps its own waitlists.

How often does CHA reopen its housing voucher waitlist?

CHA follows no fixed schedule. Historically the waitlist opens every several years when CHA decides it needs to refill its applicant pool. The most recent large opening drew hundreds of thousands of applications. Sign up for CHA email alerts at cha.gov and watch local news. Other Cook County and Illinois PHAs may have open waitlists in the meantime.

What is the difference between CHA vouchers and CHA public housing?

A CHA voucher lets you rent any private-market unit that passes inspection, so you can live almost anywhere in Chicago or beyond if you port. CHA public housing means living in a CHA-owned development. Both are income-restricted and subsidized, but public housing inventory is fixed and limited. Most advocates call vouchers more flexible, though public housing can fit people who need on-site services.

Sources

1. HUD, Office of Public and Indian Housing: Housing Choice Voucher Program overview: HUD funds and sets rules for the HCV program; PHAs like CHA administer it locally and inspect units against Housing Quality Standards
2. HUD, 24 CFR Part 982: Section 8 Tenant-Based Assistance Housing Choice Voucher Program: Tenants pay approximately 30% of adjusted monthly income toward rent; 75% of new HCV admissions must go to households at or below 30% of AMI
3. Code of Federal Regulations, 24 CFR Part 982: Tenant share cannot exceed 40% of gross monthly income at move-in (982.508); portability rights after 12 months (982.353); criminal history screening rules (982.553); search period and extensions (982.303); informal hearing rights (982.555)
4. Chicago Housing Authority, HCV Payment Standards: CHA sets local payment standards and publishes them at cha.gov; landlords and tenants should confirm current standards directly with CHA
5. HUD, Office of Policy Development and Research: Fair Market Rents: HUD publishes annual FMRs for the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metro area; 2025 FMRs set 1-BR at approximately $1,344 and 2-BR at approximately $1,579 for Cook County; income limits revised annually
6. Chicago Housing Authority, HCV Administrative Plan (public document): CHA's local preferences include displaced CHA residents, veterans, and working families; the 2014 waitlist opening drew over 280,000 applications
7. Illinois General Assembly, Public Act 101-0565 (Illinois Human Rights Act amendment, source of income): Illinois Public Act 101-0565, effective January 1, 2020, prohibits landlords statewide from discriminating on the basis of source of income, including housing vouchers
8. HUD, Fair Housing Act overview: The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and familial status
9. HUD, PIC (Public and Indian Housing Information Center) data and agency annual reports: CHA administers approximately 36,000 HCV vouchers; NYCHA administers approximately 85,000; figures are approximate and change annually