Last updated 2026-07-09
TL;DR
The Dallas Housing Authority (DHA) runs the Housing Choice Voucher program for the City of Dallas and parts of the county, serving roughly 19,000 to 20,000 households. The general voucher waitlist is closed as of mid-2025 and opens only for brief lottery windows. Vouchers cap rent at HUD Payment Standards set by ZIP code. Landlords join by passing an HQS inspection and signing a HAP contract.
What is the Dallas Housing Authority and what does it actually do?
The Dallas Housing Authority (DHA) is the public housing agency that runs federal rental assistance across the City of Dallas and parts of Dallas County. It's one of the largest PHAs in Texas. A board of commissioners appointed by the Dallas City Council governs it. [1]
DHA runs two main programs. The Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8) gives tenant-based subsidies so low-income households can rent privately owned units. DHA also owns and manages public housing developments, but the voucher program is far larger by household count.
Think of DHA as the middle of a three-way deal. HUD sends DHA the federal money, DHA issues vouchers to eligible tenants, and tenants take those vouchers to private landlords. DHA inspects the unit, calculates its share of the rent, and pays the landlord directly each month through a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). The tenant covers the rest.
DHA is not the only game in the metro. The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Worth, the Arlington Housing Authority, and several county-level PHAs each run their own separate programs. Live outside Dallas city limits and a different PHA may cover you. That changes your waitlist, your payment standards, and the rules you play by.
For a broader look at how these agencies work nationwide, the housing authority overview is a good starting point.
How many people does DHA serve and how large is the waitlist?
DHA's most recent published figures put the agency at roughly 19,000 to 20,000 voucher households at any one time. [1] That ranks it among the 20 largest voucher programs in the country.
The demand side is brutal. The last time DHA opened its general waitlist, it took tens of thousands of applications in days. DHA uses a lottery instead of first-come-first-served, partly because past openings created dangerous physical lines outside its offices. Apply during an open window and your name drops into a randomized pool. DHA draws from that pool as vouchers free up through attrition, meaning current holders who move, pass away, or lose eligibility.
As of mid-2025, DHA's general Housing Choice Voucher waitlist is closed. [1] The agency does open targeted lists for specific groups: veterans through HUD-VASH, persons with disabilities, and families experiencing homelessness referred through the Dallas Continuum of Care. Those openings go up on DHA's website and through the CoC. Checking dha.org yourself is the only reliable way to catch one. There's no automatic alert unless you built an account on the portal during an earlier application round.
HUD's rules at 24 CFR Part 982 govern how PHAs run waitlists and pull names. [2]
How do you apply to DHA's Section 8 waitlist when it opens?
Applications go through DHA's online housing portal at housingportal.dha.org during open enrollment windows. DHA doesn't take paper applications by mail or in person for the general waitlist. [1]
Have this ready before you start:
- Names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for every household member
- Current address and contact information
- Income for all adult household members (employment, benefits, child support, etc.)
- Any criminal history (certain convictions can affect eligibility)
DHA screens against HUD's eligibility rules. Income must sit at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) for the Dallas-Plano-Irving HUD metro area, and by federal law at least 75 percent of new vouchers each year must go to households at or below 30 percent of AMI. [2] At least one household member needs citizenship or eligible immigration status.
After you submit, you get a confirmation number. Keep it. If DHA pulls your name from the lottery, it contacts you by email or mail to start verifying eligibility. That contact can come weeks, months, or years after you apply, depending on how fast vouchers turn over.
Here's the part people miss. Applying during an open window doesn't get you a voucher. It gets you into the pool. DHA pulls names at random. If yours isn't pulled this cycle, you reapply when the list reopens.
For a nationwide look at which waitlists are accepting applications right now, open Section 8 waiting lists tracks active openings.
What are DHA's payment standards and what rent can a voucher cover?
DHA sets Payment Standards from HUD's Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for the Dallas-Plano-Irving HUD Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Payment Standard is the most DHA will pay toward rent plus utilities for a unit of a given size. [3]
HUD publishes Dallas FMRs every October. Dallas runs on Small Area FMRs, so the subsidy ceiling changes by ZIP code instead of one flat metro number. A ZIP in far north Dallas carries a higher payment standard than a ZIP in South Dallas, which tracks the actual rent gap between them. [3]
The table below shows FY2025 metro-wide HUD Fair Market Rents for the Dallas-Plano-Irving MSA, before the ZIP-level small area adjustment. These numbers set the baseline for DHA's payment standards:
| Bedroom Size | FY2025 HUD FMR (Dallas MSA) |
|---|---|
| 0-BR (Studio) | $1,107 |
| 1-BR | $1,252 |
| 2-BR | $1,502 |
| 3-BR | $1,966 |
| 4-BR | $2,388 |
Source: HUD FY2025 Fair Market Rents, Dallas-Plano-Irving HMF MSA [3]
Small area FMRs for specific ZIPs run higher than these averages in expensive areas and lower in cheaper ones. DHA sets its Payment Standards between 90 and 110 percent of the applicable FMR, so the real ceiling in your ZIP may differ from the table. Look up ZIP-level small area FMRs in HUD's FMR database. [3]
The voucher holder pays the gap between DHA's share and the actual rent. HUD rules say the family's share can't top 40 percent of gross monthly income at initial lease-up, though it can creep above that as rents rise later. [2]
For more on how payment standards shape what you can realistically rent, the rent-and-payment-standards section has the detail.
What neighborhoods in Dallas does a Section 8 voucher actually work in?
On paper, a DHA voucher works in any privately owned unit in the country that passes inspection and has a willing landlord. That's the point of a tenant-based voucher. You pick the unit, not the agency.
Reality is messier. Finding a landlord who takes vouchers in higher-cost Dallas neighborhoods has always been harder than in cheaper ones. Texas had no statewide source-of-income protection as of 2025, so Dallas-area landlords can legally turn away voucher holders just for holding a voucher. [4] The City of Dallas passed a source-of-income ordinance in 2018, but its enforcement has been contested and its reach is limited.
Small Area FMRs are DHA's tool against exactly this problem. They hand voucher holders bigger subsidies in higher-cost ZIPs, which makes renting in more neighborhoods possible. HUD research tied to its Small Area FMR work found that the switch in Dallas-area ZIPs measurably raised the share of voucher holders leasing in lower-poverty areas. [5]
To find listings, DHA keeps a landlord directory, and sites like Go Section 8 and AffordableHousing.com show units where owners already accept vouchers. You can also browse Section 8 houses for rent directly.
Want to leave Dallas entirely? You can port your voucher to another PHA after living in Dallas for at least 12 months. Families with children who are fleeing domestic violence may skip that wait. [2]
How does DHA's inspection process work for landlords?
Before any lease starts, DHA inspects the unit under HUD's Housing Quality Standards (HQS), set in 24 CFR 982.401. [6] The unit has to meet those standards at move-in and at every annual reinspection. Fail, and the landlord fixes the problems before DHA approves the lease and starts paying.
Here's the flow:
1. Tenant finds a willing landlord, and both fill out a Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) that DHA provides. 2. DHA reviews the RFTA and schedules an HQS inspection, usually within 7 to 15 business days. 3. The inspector visits. Common failures include peeling paint (a lead hazard in pre-1978 housing), dead smoke detectors, broken window locks, and plumbing issues. 4. If it passes, DHA runs a rent reasonableness check, confirming the proposed rent lines up with similar unassisted units nearby. 5. DHA issues a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract for the landlord to sign. 6. The lease starts, and DHA begins monthly direct-deposit payments.
Annual reinspections use the same HQS standard. If DHA finds the unit below standard, it issues an abatement, which stops payments until you fix the deficiencies. That's the complaint landlords voice most.
DHA also runs interim inspections when a tenant files a complaint. Landlords who fail inspections again and again can get suspended from the program.
New to the program? VoucherReady's landlord kit walks through the RFTA, HAP contract, and inspection checklist in one document, which saves hours of back-and-forth with DHA staff.
What are DHA's income limits and who qualifies for a voucher?
HUD sets income limits for the Dallas-Plano-Irving HMF MSA every year. Here are the FY2025 limits by family size: [7]
| Family Size | 30% AMI (Extremely Low) | 50% AMI (Very Low) | 80% AMI (Low) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $20,850 | $34,750 | $55,550 |
| 2 persons | $23,800 | $39,700 | $63,500 |
| 3 persons | $26,750 | $44,650 | $71,400 |
| 4 persons | $29,700 | $49,600 | $79,300 |
| 5 persons | $32,100 | $53,600 | $85,650 |
Source: HUD FY2025 Income Limits, Dallas-Plano-Irving HMF MSA [7]
To qualify, your household income has to fall at or below 50 percent of AMI. But federal statute (42 U.S.C. 1437f) forces PHAs to steer at least 75 percent of new vouchers to extremely low-income households at or below 30 percent of AMI. [8] So most people who get a DHA voucher have incomes in the extremely low range.
Other rules apply. At least one household member must be a U.S. citizen or hold eligible immigration status. Nobody in the household can have been evicted from a federally assisted housing program for drug-related activity in the past three years. No household member can be under a lifetime sex offender registration requirement. [2] DHA can also deny based on certain criminal history, but it runs an individualized assessment under HUD guidance issued in 2016. [9]
Income covers wages, salaries, Social Security, SSI, child support, alimony, and most other regular cash income. HUD spells it out in 24 CFR 5.609. [10]
How does porting a voucher to or from Dallas work?
Portability is one of the most useful and most confusing parts of the voucher program. The short version: you can take your voucher and move anywhere in the U.S. that has a PHA willing to administer it.
Have a DHA voucher and want out of Dallas? You have to live in DHA's jurisdiction for at least 12 months after your initial lease-up. [2] Then you file a portability request, and DHA sends a packet to the receiving PHA in your destination city. That PHA either absorbs your voucher into its own program or administers it on DHA's behalf, which is called billing. Wait times and approval speed swing wildly by receiving PHA.
Moving to Dallas with a voucher from another PHA? You contact your issuing PHA and request a port to DHA. DHA becomes the administering agency. One wrinkle matters: DHA can absorb incoming portable vouchers, replacing your original voucher with a DHA one. The subsidy gets recalculated under DHA's payment standards, which may be higher or lower than what you had.
Survivors fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking may skip the 12-month residency rule under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). [2]
When you port into Dallas, your unit still has to pass DHA's HQS inspection and meet DHA's rent reasonableness standard. Don't sign a lease before DHA approves the unit. That mistake creates real problems.
The moving-and-porting guide covers portability mechanics in detail for a specific move.
What special programs does DHA run beyond the regular voucher?
DHA runs several specialized voucher programs alongside the general HCV waitlist.
HUD-VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing): A joint program with the VA. Veterans who are homeless or at risk get referrals through the VA, and DHA pairs the voucher with VA case management. Referrals come from the VA, not from applying to DHA directly. [11]
Family Unification Program (FUP): Vouchers for families where bad housing is a primary reason children are in or at risk of entering foster care, plus youth aging out of foster care. Dallas County child welfare (DFPS) makes the referrals. [2]
Mainstream Vouchers: For non-elderly persons with disabilities leaving institutional settings or experiencing homelessness. DHA gets these through HUD competitions.
Project-Based Vouchers (PBV): Unlike tenant-based vouchers, these attach to specific units in specific developments. Leave the unit and you leave the subsidy. DHA partners with private developers to place PBVs in new or rehabilitated affordable housing around Dallas. Waits for specific PBV properties can be shorter or longer than the general list and are managed separately.
Choice Neighborhoods / HOPE VI: DHA has run several large public housing redevelopments, swapping distressed public housing for mixed-income communities. Residents displaced by demolition usually get tenant-based vouchers. These aren't new programs taking applicants so much as ongoing relocation tied to specific projects.
Looking for senior options? Low income senior housing covers programs that sometimes move faster than the general HCV list.
What should landlords know before accepting a DHA voucher?
Landlords who work with DHA get direct-deposit HAP payments every month, a guaranteed portion of rent even when the tenant misses their share, and a pool of applicants already income-screened. Those are real advantages.
The friction is real too. Annual inspections take time. Abatements hit if you fall behind on maintenance. The HAP contract is a federal document, and its terms bind you, including not evicting a tenant without proper process and notice to DHA. Want to raise the rent? You need DHA's approval for the amount and a fresh rent reasonableness check.
Rent increases mean you notify both the tenant and DHA in writing at least 60 days before the lease anniversary, and DHA has to sign off. It won't approve an increase that comparable rents in the area don't support.
Good news for landlords: Dallas's rental market has tightened enough that payment standards in many ZIPs now land close to market rate, especially on smaller units. The gap between the HCV ceiling and market rent was wider five years ago.
New landlords tend to underestimate the setup. From submitting the RFTA to the first HAP payment can run 30 to 60 days, depending on inspection scheduling and DHA's processing volume. Budget for that gap.
For a full walkthrough of the landlord side, including the HAP contract, inspection prep, and how payments are structured, the landlords section covers it. VoucherReady's landlord kit also pulls the core documents and checklists into one resource.
How do you contact DHA and where are their offices?
DHA's main administrative office is at 3939 North Hampton Road, Dallas, TX 75212. The main phone number is (214) 951-8300. [1]
The Housing Choice Voucher department fields voucher questions through that main line. DHA's website (www.dha.org) has an applicant portal for checking application status and updating contact info, plus a separate landlord portal for HAP payment tracking and inspection scheduling.
Walk-in hours have shifted since the pandemic. As of 2025, DHA generally wants you to call ahead or use the online portal instead of walking in, though in-person appointments exist for things you can't fix online.
Got a complaint about DHA administration? Tenants and landlords can contact HUD's Southwest Regional Office in Fort Worth or file through HUD's online complaint portal. If your complaint is about discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, or religion, that's a Fair Housing complaint, and HUD handles it separately under the Fair Housing Act. [9]
DHA also has to keep a Section 504 coordinator for disability-related accommodation requests, as the Rehabilitation Act requires. Need an accommodation in the application or leasing process? That request goes through DHA's 504 coordinator, not the general voucher staff.
How does DHA's program compare to other Texas housing authorities?
Texas has roughly 400 local housing authorities. DHA is one of the bigger ones, but program terms, waitlist status, and payment standards vary enough that comparing is worth it if you can move.
| Housing Authority | Approx. Vouchers Administered | General Waitlist Status (2025) | SAFMR/FMR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Housing Authority (DHA) | ~19,000-20,000 | Closed | Small Area FMRs |
| Housing Authority of City of Austin (HACA) | ~7,500 | Closed | Metro FMR |
| San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) | ~14,000 | Varies by program | Metro FMR |
| Houston Housing Authority (HHA) | ~19,000 | Closed | Small Area FMRs |
| Fort Worth Housing Solutions (FWHS) | ~4,500 | Varies | Metro FMR |
Note: Voucher counts are approximate, drawn from the most recently published administrative plans and HUD Picture of Subsidized Households data. [12] Waitlist status changes often.
The big structural difference between DHA and many smaller Texas PHAs is the Small Area FMR requirement. HUD forced larger PHAs in certain high-variation metros to switch to SAFMR starting in 2018. [5] Dallas is one of them. That makes DHA vouchers worth more in high-rent ZIPs and less in low-rent ones than a flat metro standard would. For tenants trying to reach higher-opportunity neighborhoods, that's a real edge over what smaller Texas PHAs offer.
For an overview of rental assistance programs in Texas and beyond, other options sit alongside the HCV program, including the low income housing tax credit program, which funds affordable apartments you can rent without a voucher.
Frequently asked questions
Is the DHA Section 8 waitlist open right now?
As of mid-2025, DHA's general Housing Choice Voucher waitlist is closed. DHA opens it periodically for brief windows, usually a few days to a week, and uses a lottery rather than first-come-first-served. The only way to catch an opening is to check DHA's official website (dha.org) regularly. Targeted lists for veterans (HUD-VASH), persons with disabilities, and homeless households may open separately.
How long is the wait for a DHA voucher once I'm on the list?
DHA hasn't published an average wait time recently, which is common for large PHAs with closed lists. Historically, waits for high-demand PHAs like DHA have run two to seven years. The real number depends on how many vouchers turn over each year and your preference category. HUD regulations at 24 CFR 982.204 require PHAs to keep written waitlist policies, which DHA's administrative plan documents.
Can I use a DHA voucher to rent a house or only an apartment?
You can use a DHA Housing Choice Voucher for any privately owned rental, including single-family houses, townhouses, condos, and apartments, as long as the unit passes HQS inspection and the rent meets DHA's reasonableness standard. Unit type doesn't affect eligibility. The voucher size (bedroom count) DHA issues is based on household size, and that sets how large a unit DHA will approve.
What happens if my landlord raises the rent above what DHA will pay?
If a landlord proposes an increase that tops DHA's payment standard or fails the rent reasonableness test, DHA won't approve it. The landlord can accept less, or the tenant can pay the difference out of pocket, but HUD rules cap the tenant's share. If the gap gets unaffordable, the tenant can request to move with the voucher. Increases need DHA approval at least 60 days before the lease anniversary.
How do I report a problem with my DHA landlord or living conditions?
Contact DHA's HCV department and request an interim inspection if the issue is housing quality (mold, plumbing, heat, pests). DHA can inspect and, if it finds violations, issue an abatement stopping payments until repairs happen. For habitability problems your landlord ignores, you also have rights under Texas Property Code Chapter 92, including repair-and-deduct remedies in some cases. HUD's complaint portal handles fair housing violations separately.
Can a Dallas landlord legally refuse to accept a Section 8 voucher?
Under Texas state law as of 2025, landlords can decline voucher holders because Texas has no statewide source-of-income protection. The City of Dallas passed a local ordinance in 2018 barring source-of-income discrimination, but enforcement has been limited. Federal fair housing law doesn't specifically protect voucher status, though refusing a voucher holder for reasons tied to race, disability, or another protected characteristic is illegal under the Fair Housing Act.
How do DHA's Small Area Fair Market Rents work in practice?
Small Area FMRs assign a different rent ceiling to each Dallas metro ZIP code instead of one metro-wide number. HUD sets them from actual rents in each ZIP using Census American Community Survey data. A DHA voucher is worth more in a high-cost ZIP like 75205 (Highland Park area) and less in a low-cost ZIP than a flat metro standard would give. HUD required Dallas to use SAFMRs starting in 2018 based on metro rent variation thresholds.
Does DHA have public housing in addition to vouchers?
Yes. DHA owns and manages public housing units at several Dallas locations. Public housing differs from the voucher program: the subsidy attaches to the unit, not the household. DHA has been tearing down older public housing and replacing it with mixed-income communities through HOPE VI and Choice Neighborhoods funding. Residents displaced by demolition usually get tenant-based vouchers. The public housing waitlist is managed separately from the HCV waitlist.
What income counts toward DHA's eligibility limit?
HUD's income definition under 24 CFR 5.609 covers wages, salaries, tips, net self-employment income, Social Security and SSI, pension and retirement income, unemployment compensation, child support, alimony, and most other regular cash payments. Some items are excluded, including income of foster children, irregular gifts, and certain educational scholarships. DHA verifies income through third-party sources, including HUD's Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system.
Can I port my DHA voucher to another city or state?
Yes, after living in DHA's jurisdiction for 12 months under your initial lease. You notify DHA of your intent to port, and DHA sends a portability packet to the receiving PHA. The receiving agency needs an available unit that passes inspection. VAWA protections may waive the 12-month requirement for survivors of domestic violence. The receiving PHA may absorb your voucher into its program, recalculating your subsidy under its payment standards, which could be higher or lower.
How does the HUD-VASH program at DHA differ from the regular voucher?
HUD-VASH pairs a Housing Choice Voucher with VA case management specifically for veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Eligibility requires VA enrollment and a referral from the VA Dallas medical center or community-based outpatient clinics. Veterans don't apply to DHA directly for HUD-VASH; the VA makes the referral. Once issued, the voucher works like a regular HCV, covering rent above the tenant's share with the same HQS inspection requirement.
What criminal history can disqualify someone from a DHA voucher?
Federal law makes DHA deny an application if any household member was convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine in federally assisted housing, or is subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement. For other criminal history, DHA runs an individualized assessment per HUD's 2016 guidance, weighing the nature of the offense, how long ago it happened, and evidence of rehabilitation. A conviction doesn't automatically disqualify you; DHA reviews case by case.
How long does a DHA inspection take and what fails most often?
Initial HQS inspections usually take 30 to 90 minutes for a standard apartment or house. DHA schedules them within roughly 7 to 15 business days of getting a completed RFTA, though times vary with workload. Common failures include peeling or chipping paint in pre-1978 units (lead hazard), dead smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, window security problems, plumbing leaks, and broken or missing outlet covers. Landlords can request a re-inspection after fixing deficiencies.
Sources
- Dallas Housing Authority, Official Website and About DHA: DHA administers vouchers for approximately 19,000-20,000 households and is headquartered at 3939 North Hampton Road, Dallas TX; general waitlist status.
- HUD, 24 CFR Part 982 - Section 8 Tenant Based Assistance: Housing Choice Voucher Program: Waitlist lottery requirements, 40% rent-to-income cap at initial lease-up, portability 12-month residency requirement, FUP and VAWA portability exceptions.
- HUD, FY2025 Fair Market Rents - Dallas-Plano-Irving HMF MSA: FY2025 Fair Market Rents by bedroom size for the Dallas-Plano-Irving metropolitan area, and Small Area FMR ZIP-level data.
- Texas State Legislature, Texas Property Code Chapter 92: Texas has no statewide source-of-income protection prohibiting landlords from declining voucher holders; tenant habitability rights under Texas law.
- HUD, Small Area Fair Market Rents Final Rule and Implementation: HUD required Dallas and other high-variation metros to implement Small Area FMRs starting 2018; research on leasing in lower-poverty areas.
- HUD, 24 CFR 982.401 - Housing Quality Standards: HQS requirements that all units must meet before and throughout the tenancy in the Housing Choice Voucher program.
- HUD, FY2025 Income Limits - Dallas-Plano-Irving HMF MSA: FY2025 income limits at 30%, 50%, and 80% of AMI by household size for the Dallas-Plano-Irving HMF MSA.
- U.S. Code, 42 U.S.C. 1437f - Low-income housing assistance: Federal statute requiring PHAs to direct at least 75% of new vouchers to households at or below 30% of AMI.
- HUD, Fair Housing Act and Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity: Federal fair housing protections applicable to voucher holders; HUD's 2016 guidance on criminal history and individualized assessment.
- HUD, 24 CFR 5.609 - Annual Income: HUD's regulatory definition of annual income used to determine eligibility and rent calculation in HCV program.
- HUD, HUD-VASH Program Information: HUD-VASH program structure: vouchers paired with VA case management for homeless veterans; referral process through VA.
- HUD, Picture of Subsidized Households - Public Housing Authority Data: Approximate voucher counts for Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Austin housing authorities.