Durham Housing Authority: Section 8 waitlist, vouchers, and how it works

Last updated 2026-07-09

What is the Durham Housing Authority and what programs does it run?

The Durham Housing Authority (DHA) is the public housing agency for Durham County, North Carolina. It was set up under North Carolina General Statute Chapter 157 and works under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ^[1]. Its core job is simple to state: move federal rental subsidy money to low-income Durham residents. Two channels do most of that work. The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program (what most people still call Section 8) and public housing units DHA owns outright.

A handful of smaller programs sit underneath those two. Project-Based Vouchers (PBVs) tie a subsidy to a specific apartment instead of to a tenant who can move. DHA has also run HUD-VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing), which pairs VA case management with vouchers for homeless veterans ^[2]. The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program turns rent increases into an escrow account as your income grows. Homeownership vouchers, when they're funded, let a tenant put the subsidy toward a mortgage instead of rent.

Know which program you're in. The rules split hard. A tenant with a tenant-based HCV can move and keep the voucher. A tenant in a project-based unit loses the subsidy the day they leave. This guide sticks mostly to the tenant-based HCV program, because that's what almost every DHA participant deals with.

DHA's main office is at 330 East Main Street, Durham, NC 27701. Phone lines run slow. The HCV department's email or online portal usually gets you a faster answer.

Is the DHA Section 8 waitlist open right now?

Probably not, but check the source directly before you trust anyone (including this page). DHA's HCV waitlist has stayed closed for long stretches, sometimes years at a time. When it opens, it can fill and close inside 24 to 72 hours ^[3]. Openings show up on DHA's official website (durhamhousingauthority.org) and sometimes on local news and social media. There's no personal advance-warning system, so you have to keep watching.

Applications go in online through DHA's portal when the list is open. Paper applications haven't been used in recent cycles. You make an account, enter household details, and get a confirmation number. That number is not a voucher. It means you're on a list to be considered when DHA has funding to reach your position.

HUD lets agencies set preferences for who gets served first. DHA has used local preferences for Durham County residents, people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, working families, and veterans. Qualify for one, and your spot effectively jumps ahead of applicants without a preference, even people who applied before you ^[4].

After you're on the list, keep DHA current on any change to your address, household, or income. Ignoring a status letter is one of the top reasons people get dropped. DHA has to mail those letters, but if yours goes to an old address, you can lose your place with no second notice. Log into the portal now and then. Update your contact info the moment anything changes.

For which agencies around the country have lists open right now, open Section 8 waiting lists keeps a tracker.

How long is the DHA waitlist and how long will I wait?

Nobody has clean public data on DHA's current list length or median wait, because DHA isn't required to publish that number in real time. HUD's Picture of Subsidized Households database gives a rough count of how many vouchers an agency runs ^[5], and DHA has historically managed somewhere between 3,500 and 4,500 active HCV units. The line of families waiting behind those vouchers is much longer.

Wait times in Durham have run from two years to over five, depending on when you applied and what preferences you hold. The single best predictor of a shorter wait is a local preference. A Durham County resident who is homeless and also counts as a working family can move faster than a non-resident with nothing. Even so, plan on two years as a floor.

Here's what trips people up. Getting called off the list does not hand you a voucher. DHA schedules an eligibility interview, verifies income and household size, and runs a criminal background check. If anything changed since you applied (new household members, new income, a conviction), that affects eligibility. Verification takes weeks. Once you're cleared and issued a voucher, you get a limited window (usually 60 days, extendable to 120 in some cases) to find a unit ^[6].

The housing choice voucher program article breaks down exactly what the eligibility interview asks, if you want to walk in ready.

What are DHA's payment standards for 2024 to 2025?

A payment standard is the most DHA will pay toward rent plus utilities for a given unit size. It's built off HUD's Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area, and agencies can set their standard anywhere from 90% to 110% of the FMR without special HUD approval ^[7].

HUD published these FMRs for the Durham-Chapel Hill HUD Metro FMR Area for FY2025 ^[8]:

Unit size	FY2025 FMR
SRO (0-BR)	$1,068
1-BR	$1,300
2-BR	$1,587
3-BR	$1,993
4-BR	$2,239

DHA's real payment standards can sit above or below the FMR, since the agency can set them between 90% and 110% of those numbers. As of mid-2025, DHA hadn't posted current payment standards on its site in a form you could screenshot and rely on. So call or email DHA's HCV department to confirm the figure before you sign a lease or list a unit.

The payment standard is not the rent ceiling. A landlord can ask for more than the standard. When rent runs above it, the tenant covers the gap on top of their normal share. HUD's rent burden rule blocks the initial rent from pushing a tenant's share past 40% of monthly adjusted income ^[6]. A tenant with $1,000 in adjusted monthly income can't lease a unit where their share (including any overage above the payment standard) tops $400 at move-in.

How does DHA calculate how much rent a voucher holder pays?

It runs on a federal formula under 24 CFR Part 982 ^[6]. DHA first sets your Total Tenant Payment (TTP): the greater of 30% of monthly adjusted income, 10% of monthly gross income, or the welfare rent if it applies, with a $50 minimum. TTP is what you pay toward rent plus utilities.

If gross rent (the landlord's rent plus any utility allowance for utilities you pay) lands at or under the payment standard, DHA pays the difference between the payment standard and your TTP. If gross rent runs above the payment standard, you pay your TTP plus the entire overage.

Run the numbers. Say the 2-BR payment standard is $1,500 and your TTP is $400. Landlord charges $1,500. DHA pays $1,100, you pay $400. Now the same landlord wants $1,700. DHA still pays $1,100 (payment standard minus TTP). You pay $400 plus the $200 overage, so $600 total. That $600 is 60% of your $1,000 monthly income, over HUD's 40% cap at initial lease-up, so DHA won't approve the unit unless the landlord drops the rent.

For the full subsidy math across more scenarios, rental assistance walks through it.

What does a landlord need to do to accept a DHA voucher?

Durham landlords are not required by federal law to accept vouchers, and North Carolina has no statewide source-of-income protection law as of 2025, so accepting a DHA voucher stays optional here ^[9]. The upside for landlords who say yes: a reliable monthly payment straight from DHA, a ready pool of tenants, and a unit that rarely sits empty long once it's approved.

Four steps run the process.

First, a voucher holder answers your listing. You check their voucher paperwork to confirm it's current and covers a unit your size.

Second, you and the tenant settle on rent. Before anything goes to DHA, make sure your asking rent sits within or near the payment standard. DHA runs a Rent Reasonableness check, comparing your unit to unassisted comparable units nearby ^[6]. Fail that test and DHA won't approve the lease.

Third, DHA schedules a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection. It's a physical walkthrough covering 13 performance areas: sanitary facilities, food prep area, space and security, thermal environment, illumination and electricity, structure and materials, interior air quality, water supply, lead-based paint, access, site and neighborhood, and sanitary conditions ^[10]. The unit has to pass before DHA signs the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract with you.

Fourth, you sign the HAP contract with DHA and the lease with the tenant. DHA pays you (the landlord) monthly, usually by direct deposit.

The repeat offenders on Durham inspections: dead smoke detectors, missing or broken window locks, peeling paint in pre-1978 buildings, non-working GFCI outlets in bathrooms and kitchens, and water heaters with no discharge pipe on the pressure relief valve. Fix those before the inspector shows up and you'll usually pass the first time. A failed inspection delays your payment, which helps nobody.

Setting up your landlord paperwork for the first time? VoucherReady's landlord kit has pre-filled HAP contract checklists and an inspection prep guide that mirrors the real HQS form.

For finding tenants in Durham, section 8 houses for rent has listing tips for NC markets.

What happens at the DHA HQS inspection and how do I prepare?

HUD's HQS rules live in 24 CFR 982.401 ^[10], and the DHA inspector works from that same federal checklist. Plan on 30 to 60 minutes for a standard apartment or house. The landlord should be there, or send someone who can get into every room, the water heater, the breaker panel, and the attic hatch.

A few things catch Durham landlords off guard.

Lead-based paint. Any unit built before 1978 has to meet HUD's lead-safe housing rule. Deteriorated paint anywhere in the unit has to be fixed before the inspection passes ^[11].

Utility services. Every utility has to be on and working at inspection, even the ones the tenant will pay. An inspector can't test outlets or water pressure with the power or water off.

Security. Exterior doors need working deadbolts or the equivalent. Windows in sleeping rooms have to open, close, and lock. Window guards that block emergency escape are a fail.

Smoke and CO detectors. North Carolina requires smoke alarms on every level and outside each sleeping area. Carbon monoxide detectors are required when there's a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage, under NC GS 42A ^[9].

Fail the inspection and DHA hands the landlord a written list of deficiencies plus a reinspection date. Minor items that don't touch health or safety can sometimes get a 30-day window to correct. The serious ones (no heat, no water, a structural hazard) have to be fixed before the tenant moves in.

The inspections hub has a full mock HQS checklist you can print and run yourself before DHA's inspector arrives.

Can a DHA voucher holder move to another city or state (portability)?

Yes. Portability is a federal right under 24 CFR 982.353 ^[6]. Once a voucher holder has lived in DHA's jurisdiction for at least 12 months (or received initial assistance in the first unit), they can port the voucher to another agency's jurisdiction. DHA's jurisdiction is Durham County, so you need to have leased your first unit inside Durham County to set up eligibility.

To start, tell DHA in writing that you want to move to a specific area. DHA (the initial agency) sends a paperwork packet to the receiving agency. That receiving agency either runs the voucher under its own payment standards (absorbs it) or bills DHA for the subsidy cost. Either way, your voucher is good in the new place.

One real headache: receiving agencies often have their own intake queues, even for portability cases, and they're not always in a hurry to process an incoming voucher. Call the receiving agency yourself after DHA sends the packet. Confirm they got it, and get a name and number for a point of contact. That single follow-up call saves weeks more often than not.

For the full mechanics and the traps to watch, moving and porting has the step-by-step.

What are the income limits to qualify for DHA housing assistance?

HUD sets income limits for each metro area every year. For the Durham-Chapel Hill HUD Metro FMR Area, HUD publishes a Very Low Income line (50% of Area Median Income) and an Extremely Low Income line (30% of AMI) ^[12]. Agencies have to fill at least 75% of new voucher slots each fiscal year from the Extremely Low Income group.

Here are HUD's FY2025 income limits for Durham-Chapel Hill ^[12]:

Household size	50% AMI (Very Low)	30% AMI (Extremely Low)
1 person	$38,450	$23,100
2 persons	$43,950	$26,400
3 persons	$49,450	$29,700
4 persons	$54,900	$33,000
5 persons	$59,300	$35,650
6 persons	$63,700	$38,300

Those are gross annual income figures. Income counts wages, Social Security, SSI, pensions, child support, and most recurring cash benefits. Some deductions apply, including $480 a year per dependent and $400 for an elderly or disabled household member, which cuts the adjusted income used in the rent math.

If your income sits above the 50% AMI line, you generally can't get a new HCV. If you're already on the program and your income climbs past 80% of AMI, DHA has discretion to end assistance, but only after adequate notice and a chance to contest the call.

What can get someone denied or removed from the DHA program?

HCV programs have both mandatory and discretionary grounds for denial and termination. DHA follows HUD's rules in 24 CFR 982.552 and 982.553 ^[6].

Mandatory denial (DHA has no choice): a household member evicted from federally assisted housing for drug-related activity in the past three years, anyone subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement, and anyone convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine on federally assisted premises.

Discretionary denial (DHA gets to decide): a criminal history of violence or drug activity, bad landlord references including prior evictions for lease violations, false information on the application, or money owed to DHA or another agency from an old tenancy.

That last one, owing money, is a quiet trap. If a prior landlord claimed damages after a voucher-assisted tenancy and DHA paid out, that debt follows you. DHA keeps a record. Before you reapply or port in from another agency, check whether any past assisted tenancy left a balance behind.

If DHA moves to deny or end your assistance, you have a right to an informal hearing. Ask for it in writing inside the window DHA gives you (usually 10 business days). At the hearing you can present evidence, bring a representative, and push back on DHA's conclusions. The hearing officer has to be someone who wasn't part of the original decision ^[4].

Don't skip the hearing because you assume you'll lose. Hearing officers sometimes knock a termination down to a repayment agreement, or find the evidence doesn't hold up. Asking costs you almost nothing.

How is DHA funded and what happens when federal money is cut?

DHA runs almost entirely on HUD money through two streams: Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) funds, which cover the landlord subsidy, and Administrative Fee funds, which cover DHA's own operating costs ^[1]. There's no big independent revenue base underneath. When Congress trims HUD appropriations or HUD sequesters funding, agencies across the country, DHA included, take a direct hit.

For voucher holders, that shows up two ways. If HAP funds get cut, DHA may shrink the number of active vouchers by not reissuing them when a family leaves the program. That keeps the budget balanced but serves fewer people. If administrative fees get cut hard, DHA may inspect less often, process slower, or run with fewer staff, all of which drag out the daily grind of the program.

The housing authority article has the broader picture of how agencies are built and why federal budget cycles hit local service so directly.

One thing to hold onto. There's no personal shield against an agency-level funding cut beyond the rule that DHA must give adequate notice before ending an active HAP contract. If DHA ever told you your voucher was being cut purely for budget reasons, that would be unusual and possibly worth challenging. The far more common outcome is slower processing and fewer new vouchers, neither of which hits current participants directly.

What other affordable housing options exist in Durham beyond DHA vouchers?

DHA vouchers aren't the only road to affordable housing in Durham. A few others earn a look.

Public housing owned by DHA. DHA manages several public housing communities directly. These are fixed-address, income-based rentals, not portable vouchers. The application is separate from the HCV waitlist. Rent runs 30% of adjusted income ^[1].

Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties. Durham has a deep stock of LIHTC apartments, which set income-based rents without a voucher. You apply straight to the property. Income limits land at 50% or 60% of AMI depending on the property's tax credit structure ^[13]. For how the program works from a tenant's chair, low income housing tax credit covers it.

NC Housing Finance Agency programs. The state's NCHFA runs emergency rental assistance, homeownership programs, and more affordable units through its own pipeline. You apply separately from DHA ^[14].

Senior-specific housing. Durham has several properties built for residents 62 or older with income-based rents. For that angle, low income senior housing has a guide for older adults.

Homelessness services. In an immediate housing crisis, Durham's Continuum of Care, coordinated through the Durham Center for Housing Stability, may connect you to emergency shelter or rapid rehousing that moves faster than the HCV waitlist.

VoucherReady runs a free search tool at voucherready.com that filters Durham-area affordable listings by voucher type and unit size, which helps you point your energy where it counts.

Frequently asked questions

How do I contact the Durham Housing Authority HCV department?

DHA's main address is 330 East Main Street, Durham, NC 27701, and the main phone number is (919) 683-1551. For HCV questions, ask to be connected to the Housing Choice Voucher department. Email and portal contacts are on durhamhousingauthority.org. Call early; hold times are shortest between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. In-person visits need an appointment for most HCV transactions.

Can I apply for DHA Section 8 online?

Yes, when the waitlist is open, DHA takes applications through its online portal at durhamhousingauthority.org. Paper applications generally aren't available. You need a valid email address to create an account and get your confirmation number. The list opens rarely and can close within 24 to 72 hours, so watch the DHA website during any announced open period.

Does Durham have source-of-income protection for voucher holders?

As of mid-2025, North Carolina has no statewide law barring landlords from refusing to rent to voucher holders, and Durham hasn't passed a local source-of-income ordinance either. So Durham landlords can legally decline to take part in the HCV program. Federal Fair Housing rules still apply, though: a landlord can't use the voucher as a cover for discrimination based on race, national origin, familial status, disability, or other protected classes.

What is the DHA Family Self-Sufficiency program?

Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) helps HCV participants work toward economic independence. As your income rises and your rent share goes up, DHA deposits the difference into an escrow account in your name. After finishing a 5-year contract and hitting your goals (usually employment or education milestones), you get the escrow as a lump sum, yours if you use it within the program's rules. Ask DHA's HCV department about enrollment openings.

Can I use a DHA voucher to buy a home?

Yes, if DHA's homeownership voucher program is funded and taking participants. It lets eligible HCV holders put the monthly subsidy toward mortgage principal, interest, taxes, and insurance instead of rent. Eligibility usually requires first-time homebuyer status, minimum income from employment, and a homeownership counseling course. Funding is limited and not always open. Contact DHA's HCV department to ask whether the program is active now.

How often does DHA inspect a unit after the initial approval?

HUD's 2016 Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) let agencies shift from mandatory annual inspections to a biennial (every two years) cycle for units that pass, with the option to use alternative inspection systems ^[10]. DHA may inspect more often if a tenant files a complaint or there's reason to think conditions slipped. Landlords can request a special inspection when conditions change a lot.

What happens if my landlord sells the property while I have a DHA voucher?

The HAP contract runs with the lease, not the landlord. If the property sells, the new owner steps into the existing HAP contract for its remaining term. The new owner must tell DHA about the ownership change and update direct deposit info. Your tenancy and subsidy keep going uninterrupted unless the lease itself expires, at which point the new owner can decline renewal on the same grounds any landlord could use under local lease and fair housing law.

What income counts when DHA determines my eligibility?

HUD's definition of annual income under 24 CFR 5.609 covers wages, tips, Social Security, SSI, pensions, alimony, child support, net business income, and most recurring cash benefits. Some items are excluded: foster care payments, adoption assistance above a threshold, lump-sum Social Security back payments, and income from full-time students who aren't the head or spouse of the household. DHA verifies income through third-party sources including the Social Security Administration and employer contacts.

Can a DHA voucher holder be evicted and keep their voucher?

Not automatically. If you're evicted for a serious lease violation, DHA has to review whether to end your voucher too. Eviction for non-payment sometimes lets the voucher continue if the arrears came from circumstances outside your control, but eviction for drug activity, criminal activity, or serious lease violations often triggers a separate DHA termination. You have a right to an informal hearing before DHA ends assistance, no matter the eviction outcome.

Is there a separate DHA waitlist for elderly or disabled applicants?

DHA doesn't keep a fully separate waitlist for elderly or disabled applicants, but both groups may qualify for local preferences that move them up the single list faster. Disabled applicants may also qualify for accessible units in DHA's public housing portfolio, which have their own occupancy standards and referral process. Contact DHA's ADA coordinator about accessible unit availability, separate from the HCV process.

What is the difference between DHA public housing and a Housing Choice Voucher?

Public housing means you live in a unit DHA owns and manages directly. Rent is income-based, usually 30% of adjusted income, and you can't move and take the subsidy with you. A Housing Choice Voucher is portable: you find your own private landlord, and DHA pays part of the rent for you. Voucher holders get far more choice in where they live. The two programs have separate waitlists and separate eligibility at DHA.

How do Durham landlords get paid and how fast does DHA pay?

DHA pays landlords by direct deposit on or around the first of each month, once the HAP contract is active and the unit has passed inspection. The first payment can lag two to four weeks after lease start because DHA has to process the HAP contract. Later payments usually land on time unless DHA has an administrative backlog. A tenant paying their share late doesn't affect DHA's portion. Set up direct deposit at the start to skip check delays.

Can a landlord charge a DHA voucher holder a security deposit?

Yes. Landlords can charge a security deposit to HCV tenants, but HUD requires the deposit not exceed what the landlord charges comparable unassisted tenants. Under North Carolina law (GS 42-51), residential security deposits are capped at two weeks' rent for weekly leases or one and a half months' rent for monthly leases. DHA doesn't pay the deposit; that's on the tenant. Some local nonprofits run deposit assistance funds for voucher holders who can't cover it upfront.

Sources

1. HUD.gov, Public Housing Agency Plans and HUD cooperative agreements overview: DHA operates under a cooperative agreement with HUD and administers the HCV program and public housing units in Durham County
2. Durham Housing Authority, official website: DHA's HCV waitlist has historically opened and closed within 24 to 72 hours; current waitlist status is posted on the DHA website
3. HUD User, Picture of Subsidized Households database: HUD's Picture of Subsidized Households provides agency-level counts of active vouchers administered
4. Code of Federal Regulations, 24 CFR Part 982, Housing Choice Voucher Program: 24 CFR 982 governs HCV program rules including Total Tenant Payment calculation, portability rights under 982.353, rent burden cap of 40% at initial lease-up, and landlord HAP contract requirements
5. HUD User, Fair Market Rents and payment standard guidance: Agencies may set payment standards between 90% and 110% of the published FMR without special HUD approval
6. HUD User, FY2025 Fair Market Rents for Durham-Chapel Hill HUD Metro FMR Area: HUD published FY2025 FMRs for the Durham-Chapel Hill area: 1-BR $1,300; 2-BR $1,587; 3-BR $1,993; 4-BR $2,239
7. North Carolina General Assembly, General Statutes Chapter 42 (landlord-tenant) and Chapter 42A: North Carolina has no statewide source-of-income protection law; NC GS 42A requires carbon monoxide detectors when fuel-burning appliances are present
8. HUD User, FY2025 Income Limits for Durham-Chapel Hill HUD Metro Area: HUD publishes Very Low Income (50% AMI) and Extremely Low Income (30% AMI) thresholds annually; agencies must admit at least 75% of new voucher recipients from Extremely Low Income households
9. NC Housing Finance Agency, affordable housing programs: NCHFA administers emergency rental assistance, homeownership programs, and additional affordable housing units statewide, separate from DHA