Last updated 2026-07-09
TL;DR
The Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) runs the Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8) for Memphis, TN, managing roughly 7,000 vouchers. The waitlist opens for short windows and closes fast. Voucher holders pay 30 to 40% of income toward rent, and MHA pays the rest straight to the landlord. Every unit must pass an HQS inspection before the lease starts.
What is the Memphis Housing Authority and what does it actually do?
The Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) is the public housing agency (PHA) for Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee. It runs under a federal charter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and a board of commissioners appointed by the city governs it. MHA does two big things: it runs the city's public housing developments, and it administers the Housing Choice Voucher program, which almost everyone calls Section 8.
On the public housing side, MHA owns and manages several thousand units across the city. On the voucher side, MHA holds a HUD-approved Annual Contributions Contract (ACC) that funds the subsidy payments landlords collect each month [1].
MHA's central office is at 700 Adams Ave., Memphis, TN 38105. The phone number is (901) 544-1100. The website is memphishousing.org. Hours and department contacts change, so verify with MHA before you drive over.
The agency also runs programs for elderly and disabled residents, homeownership vouchers (a small program that lets voucher holders put subsidy toward a mortgage), and project-based vouchers attached to specific apartment complexes around town. If you've been reading up on rental assistance in Memphis, MHA is the main door to federal subsidy. Tennessee also runs state-administered help through THDA for other programs.
Is the Memphis Housing Authority Section 8 waitlist open right now?
The honest answer depends on the day you read this. MHA's HCV waitlist has opened for short windows in the past, sometimes just a few days, then closed again for months or years. As of mid-2026, check memphishousing.org directly or call (901) 544-1100 to confirm the current status. Skip the third-party listing sites for open or closed status. They lag behind reality.
When the waitlist does open, MHA takes online applications through its portal. Paper applications usually aren't accepted during open enrollment. The agency uses a lottery or first-come-first-served method depending on the opening, and it has used random selection in past cycles to handle the flood of applicants [2].
Priority preferences at MHA have historically included veterans and their families, residents displaced by government action or disaster, and current public housing residents moving to a voucher. A preference moves you up the queue. It does not hand you a voucher. You still wait, just less.
Wait times in Memphis are long. HUD's Picture of Subsidized Households data suggests average waits from application to voucher issuance at many large urban PHAs run 2 to 5 years, and MHA fits that pattern [3]. Nobody publishes a precise current average for MHA specifically, so treat that range as an honest estimate. Our roundup of open Section 8 waiting lists shows which PHAs around the country have open doors right now.
How do you apply for a Section 8 voucher through MHA?
When MHA opens its waitlist, the steps are standard for any large urban PHA.
1. Create an account on MHA's online application portal at memphishousing.org. 2. Complete the pre-application. You enter household size, income, and any preference categories that apply (veteran status, displacement, and so on). 3. Submit before the window closes. You get a confirmation number. Keep it. 4. If your name comes up from the waitlist, MHA mails or emails a full application packet. You document income, assets, family composition, and Social Security numbers for every household member. 5. MHA runs a criminal background check and a landlord reference check. Certain criminal histories disqualify applicants under MHA policy. Convictions for manufacturing methamphetamine in assisted housing and lifetime sex-offender registrations are automatic bars under federal law (24 CFR 982.553) [4]. 6. If approved, you get a voucher with an initial search term, usually 60 to 120 days, and MHA can grant extensions.
Here are the eligibility basics. Gross household income has to be at or below 50% of the Memphis Area Median Income (AMI), but HUD requires PHAs to serve 75% of new admissions at or below 30% of AMI, the Extremely Low Income tier [1]. In practice, most people who actually land a voucher in Memphis sit in that lowest income band.
For 2025, HUD's income limits for the Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area put the 50% AMI threshold near $31,550 for a single person and $45,050 for a family of four, and these numbers adjust every year [5]. Check the current year's limits at HUD's income limits page before you count on any figure.
What are MHA's payment standards and how is rent calculated?
Payment standards are the most MHA will pay toward a unit of a given bedroom size. MHA sets them as a percentage of HUD's Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for the Memphis area. PHAs can set standards between 90% and 110% of FMR without HUD approval, or up to 120% with approval [1].
HUD's FY2025 FMRs for the Memphis, TN-MS-AR MSA are published on HUD's website and act as the baseline [6]. MHA's actual payment standards can differ from the FMR figures. The table below uses HUD's published FY2025 FMRs as a reference point, because MHA doesn't always post its current payment standards where you can find them. Call MHA or check memphishousing.org for exact numbers.
| Bedroom Size | HUD FY2025 FMR (Memphis MSA) |
|---|---|
| 0-BR (efficiency) | ~$875 |
| 1-BR | ~$975 |
| 2-BR | ~$1,175 |
| 3-BR | ~$1,575 |
| 4-BR | ~$1,825 |
These are approximate. Confirm the current figures at huduser.gov [6].
Now the rent math. The tenant pays the higher of 30% of monthly adjusted gross income or 10% of monthly gross income, applied toward the gross rent (contract rent plus utilities). MHA pays the gap between that tenant share and the gross rent, up to the payment standard. If a landlord asks more than the payment standard, the tenant covers the overage entirely, and MHA will not approve a rent so high that the tenant pays more than 40% of income in the first year of the lease [4].
Utility allowances matter here. MHA issues a utility allowance schedule based on unit type and heating fuel. If the tenant pays utilities directly, the utility allowance shaves down the effective payment standard the landlord sees. Get a current utility allowance schedule from MHA when you're pricing a unit.
What does MHA's HQS inspection cover and how do landlords pass?
Before MHA pays a single dollar, the unit has to pass a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection, required under 24 CFR 982.401 [4]. Fail it and nothing moves. This is the part of the program that trips up landlords the most.
MHA sends its own inspector (or a contracted third party) to the unit. The inspector runs through roughly 13 categories:
- Sanitary facilities (working toilet, tub or shower, privacy)
- Food preparation and refuse disposal (stove, refrigerator, enough space)
- Space and security (each bedroom needs at least one window, lockable doors)
- Thermal environment (working heat, and in Memphis that means functional cooling too, given the summers)
- Illumination and electricity (outlets in each room, no exposed wiring)
- Structure and materials (no major holes, sound floors, no severely deteriorated paint)
- Interior air quality (no obvious carbon monoxide hazards, adequate ventilation)
- Water supply (potable, sufficient pressure)
- Lead-based paint (for units built before 1978, a visual assessment is required, with full compliance under HUD's lead rules at 24 CFR Part 35) [7]
- Access (the unit is reachable without going through another unit)
- Site and neighborhood
- Sanitary conditions
- Smoke detectors (required in each bedroom and hallway)
MHA schedules the initial inspection after you submit a Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA). If the unit fails, you usually get a chance to fix the problems and schedule a reinspection. Some PHAs charge for reinspections after the first failure. Confirm MHA's current policy on that.
After the lease starts, MHA inspects the unit at least once a year. A unit that fails the annual inspection and doesn't get repaired can lose its HAP payments. That's a real cash flow risk landlords need to plan for.
How does a landlord sign up to accept Memphis Housing Authority vouchers?
Accepting MHA vouchers is simpler than most landlords fear. Here's the core sequence.
1. A voucher holder finds your unit and hands you their voucher paperwork, including a Request for Tenancy Approval form. 2. You and the tenant complete the RFTA and submit it to MHA. You specify the rent you're asking, the utility arrangement, and the lease start date. 3. MHA checks rent reasonableness. Your asking rent has to be reasonable next to unassisted units of similar type in the same area. MHA won't approve a rent above what comparable non-subsidized units rent for [4]. 4. The HQS inspection happens (see the previous section). 5. If approved, you and MHA execute a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract. That's the legal document obligating MHA to pay its portion directly to you each month. 6. You and the tenant sign a standard lease for at least 12 months.
Once the HAP contract is signed, MHA pays its share by direct deposit on a set date each month. You collect the tenant portion separately.
Landlords get two things wrong most often. First, trying to charge a voucher holder a higher rent than a market-rate tenant would pay (illegal under fair housing law and MHA policy). Second, not realizing the HAP contract carries landlord obligations beyond a normal lease. It bans certain lease clauses and gives MHA the right to inspect.
On the fence? The practical draws are a guaranteed monthly payment from MHA (the government doesn't bounce checks) and a large pool of voucher holders searching in Memphis. Demand for landlords who accept vouchers is real. Our page on section 8 houses for rent shows what the tenant-facing search market looks like.
What are MHA's public housing communities and how are they different from vouchers?
MHA also owns and manages public housing, and it works differently from the voucher program. With a voucher, you live in privately owned housing and MHA subsidizes your rent. With public housing, MHA is your landlord.
MHA's public housing portfolio has changed a lot over the past two decades. Several older large-scale developments came down under HOPE VI grants and got replaced with mixed-income communities. Cleaborn Pointe at Heritage Landing (formerly Cleaborn Homes) and Uptown Square are examples of redeveloped sites. Current MHA-managed developments include the Foote Homes area (one of the last large traditional public housing sites in Memphis, with major redevelopment plans in play as of 2024 to 2025), plus scattered-site and senior housing properties.
Waiting lists for public housing are separate from the HCV waitlist. Income limits look similar (50% AMI or below), but the application process and wait time can differ a lot by development and unit size.
Seniors have dedicated MHA elderly and disabled developments. Low income senior housing options in Memphis include both MHA properties and Section 202 HUD-funded properties run by nonprofits that are separate from MHA entirely.
Rent in public housing works much like the voucher side: tenants generally pay 30% of adjusted gross income, with the government covering operating costs. But you don't pick your unit the way you do with a voucher. You take what's open when your name comes up.
Can a Memphis Section 8 voucher be used outside of Shelby County?
Yes. This is portability, and it's a tenant right under federal law (24 CFR 982.353) [4]. If you've held your voucher at least 12 months (or sometimes right at issuance, if you lived in MHA's jurisdiction when you applied), you can ask to port your voucher to another PHA's area.
Here's how it runs for MHA voucher holders. You tell MHA you want to port and name the destination area. MHA sends your paperwork to the receiving PHA. That PHA either absorbs your voucher (takes it over with its own funding) or bills MHA (MHA keeps paying and the receiving PHA administers the assistance). The receiving PHA's payment standards and rules govern the unit you rent there.
Porting out of Memphis is common, often to suburban Shelby County communities or other Tennessee cities. Porting in works too. If you're new to Memphis and hold a voucher from another city, you can ask to port to MHA's jurisdiction. MHA can't refuse a portability request from an eligible family, though it can require you to use MHA's payment standards.
For the full national picture, see our guide on the housing choice voucher program and its section on moving. Memphis has enough rental inventory that porting in is usually workable, but you need to find a unit inside your search window, which MHA can extend if you're actively looking.
What protections do tenants have under MHA's voucher program?
Federal law and HUD regulations hand HCV tenants a set of protections that stick even though a private landlord owns the unit.
A landlord can't end a lease during the initial 12-month term except for serious lease violations (nonpayment, criminal activity, damage to the unit). After the initial term, the landlord can decline to renew, but must give proper notice under Tennessee law (usually 30 days for month-to-month tenancies) and can't terminate for discriminatory reasons [8].
The landlord can't charge the voucher holder extra fees that aren't in the lease, can't discriminate based on protected class status, and can't retaliate against a tenant for reporting habitability problems to MHA or local code enforcement.
MHA must offer a hearing process before it terminates a family's assistance. Under 24 CFR 982.555, families have the right to request an informal hearing before MHA ends their voucher, and an informal review before certain other adverse actions [4].
In Tennessee, landlords and tenants also fall under the Tennessee Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA), which applies in Shelby County. URLTA gives tenants the right to a habitable unit, requires proper notice before entry, and sets rules on security deposits [8].
Think your landlord broke the HAP contract or your lease? Contact MHA first and put everything in writing. If MHA won't respond, HUD's Office of Public and Indian Housing handles complaints about PHAs. Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) offers free or low-cost legal help with housing matters.
How does MHA's voucher program fit into the broader Memphis housing market?
Memphis carries a high poverty rate compared with national averages. The U.S. Census Bureau's data consistently places Memphis among the largest U.S. cities with poverty rates above 20% [9]. That context explains why MHA's program stays stretched: far more households qualify than there are vouchers.
HUD's Picture of Subsidized Households data shows MHA serving roughly 7,000 to 7,500 voucher-assisted households in recent years [3]. That's a big number in absolute terms, and still a fraction of the households that qualify on income.
Rent growth in Memphis has stayed moderate compared with coastal cities, but it climbed after the pandemic. Median asking rents for 2-bedroom units in Memphis ran roughly $900 to $1,200 across 2024 and 2025 depending on submarket, based on local listing data. MHA's payment standards have to keep pace. When standards fall too far below market rents, voucher holders can't find units that pass inspection at an approvable rent.
For landlords sizing up the Memphis market, Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties are another slice of the affordable housing picture. LIHTC properties carry income-restricted rents and can accept vouchers, which pairs the two subsidy types naturally.
VoucherReady's landlord kit walks through the full paperwork flow for first-time HCV landlords, including the RFTA, the HAP contract structure, and rent reasonableness documentation. Tenants searching for units can use the site's free tools to match voucher size and payment standard to listed units in Memphis.
What other assistance programs does MHA or Memphis offer beyond Section 8?
MHA isn't the only source of housing help in Memphis. Several programs run alongside or apart from MHA's HCV program.
Homeownership vouchers: MHA has run a small homeownership voucher program that lets existing HCV participants put their subsidy toward mortgage payments instead of rent. Slots are very limited. You have to be a current voucher holder in good standing, meet minimum income requirements, finish a homeownership counseling course, and qualify for a mortgage. This one isn't always active. Confirm availability with MHA directly.
Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA): THDA administers state-level rental assistance, homebuyer programs, and the statewide allocation of Housing Choice Vouchers outside Memphis and Nashville. For Memphians, THDA's Great Choice Home Loans and down payment assistance may fit those heading toward homeownership [10].
Emergency rental assistance: Shelby County and the City of Memphis have run emergency rental assistance programs, especially during and after the COVID-19 period. These sit separate from MHA and draw on Treasury's ERA funding. Availability rises and falls with money. Check shelbycountytn.gov or the City of Memphis official site for current programs.
HUD-assisted multifamily housing: Memphis has many apartment complexes with project-based Section 8 contracts, Section 202 (elderly), and Section 811 (disabled) units. HUD administers these directly, not MHA, and they keep their own waiting lists. HUD's property search at hud.gov/apps/section8 helps you find them [11].
Public housing (MHA-managed): as noted above, separate waitlist, separate process. To be considered for both public housing and HCV, you apply to each one separately.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my status on the Memphis Housing Authority waiting list?
Log in to the MHA online portal at memphishousing.org using the account and confirmation number from when you applied. MHA generally doesn't give status updates by phone for routine waitlist questions. If your address, income, or family composition changes, update MHA in writing right away, or you risk losing your spot when your name is called.
What is the income limit to qualify for a Section 8 voucher in Memphis?
Income has to be at or below 50% of the Memphis Area Median Income (AMI). For FY2025, HUD set that near $31,550 for one person and $45,050 for a family of four. Federal law also requires MHA to issue 75% of new vouchers to households at or below 30% of AMI, so most new recipients earn well under the 50% ceiling. Verify current limits at huduser.gov.
How long is the wait for a Memphis Housing Authority voucher?
Nobody publishes a precise current average for MHA specifically. Based on HUD's broader data on large urban PHAs, waits of 2 to 5 years are common once a waitlist opens. The waitlist itself may stay closed for years between openings, so the real wait from when you try to apply can run longer. The only leg up is qualifying for a preference category, which moves you up the queue without guaranteeing speed.
Does Memphis Housing Authority do criminal background checks?
Yes. MHA runs criminal history checks on all adult household members. Federal law under 24 CFR 982.553 mandates denial for lifetime sex offenders on state registries and for anyone convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine in federally assisted housing. Beyond those hard bars, MHA has discretion to deny based on other drug or criminal history. If denied, you can request an informal review within the timeframe MHA lists in its denial letter.
Can a landlord in Memphis reject a Section 8 tenant?
Tennessee has no statewide source-of-income protection law as of mid-2026, so landlords in Memphis generally aren't required by state law to accept Housing Choice Vouchers. But landlords can't reject a tenant based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, or familial status under the federal Fair Housing Act. In practice, plenty of Memphis landlords accept vouchers, and MHA keeps a list of participating landlords on its website.
What happens if my MHA-assisted unit fails the annual inspection?
MHA gives the landlord written notice of the deficiencies and a deadline to fix them. If the landlord misses that deadline, MHA can abate (suspend) HAP payments or terminate the HAP contract. Tenants aren't responsible for the landlord's share during abatement. Tenants can also get a new voucher to move if the landlord won't maintain the unit. Document every habitability complaint in writing to protect your record.
What is the Memphis Housing Authority's payment standard for a 2-bedroom unit?
MHA sets its payment standards from HUD's Fair Market Rents for the Memphis MSA. HUD's FY2025 FMR for a 2-bedroom in the Memphis area is roughly $1,175. MHA's actual standard can land between 90% and 110% of that. Call MHA at (901) 544-1100 or check memphishousing.org for the current adopted figure, since it adjusts yearly and the gap between FMR and MHA's standard matters when you price a unit.
Can I use my Memphis Housing Authority voucher to move to another state?
Yes, after you hold the voucher for 12 months (or sometimes sooner if you lived outside MHA's jurisdiction when you applied). This is federal portability under 24 CFR 982.353. Notify MHA of your intent to port, name the destination, and MHA contacts the receiving PHA. That PHA's payment standards and policies govern your search in the new location. Your Memphis tenancy history and any lease violations travel with you in your file.
Does Memphis Housing Authority offer a homeownership voucher program?
MHA has run a homeownership voucher program that lets current HCV participants put their subsidy toward a mortgage. Eligibility usually means being a current MHA voucher holder in good standing for at least one year, meeting minimum income thresholds (generally federal minimum wage times 2,000 hours), finishing a HUD-approved counseling course, and qualifying for a mortgage. Slots are very limited and the program isn't always active. Call MHA to ask about current openings.
What is the difference between Memphis Housing Authority public housing and a Section 8 voucher?
With public housing, MHA is your landlord and you live in an MHA-owned unit, paying roughly 30% of adjusted gross income as rent. With a Section 8 voucher, you find a private landlord, sign a private lease, and MHA pays part of your rent directly to the landlord. Vouchers give more choice of neighborhood. Public housing has separate waitlists. Both require income at or below 50% of AMI, with very low income applicants usually first.
How do I report a problem with my Memphis Housing Authority landlord or unit?
Start by telling your landlord in writing about the specific issue and keep a copy. If the landlord doesn't respond, contact MHA's inspection department and request a complaint inspection. You can also report housing code violations to the City of Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development. For legal help, Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) provides free civil legal aid to low-income residents. If MHA itself won't respond, file a complaint with HUD's Office of Public and Indian Housing.
What documents do I need to apply for MHA's Section 8 program?
For the pre-application (when the waitlist opens), you usually need basic household information and Social Security numbers. When MHA calls your name for a full eligibility interview, bring: government-issued photo ID for all adults, Social Security cards for every household member, proof of income (pay stubs, benefit award letters), bank statements, birth certificates for minors, and documentation of any preference claimed (a veteran's DD-214, a displacement notice). Requirements vary, and MHA's letter lists exactly what to bring.
Are there other housing authorities near Memphis that might have open waitlists?
Yes. Shelby County outside the city limits runs its own housing programs, and nearby PHAs in Tennessee and Mississippi may have shorter waitlists. The Germantown and Bartlett areas of Shelby County are served by the Shelby County Division of Housing. In Mississippi, agencies covering DeSoto County (which borders Memphis) may have openings. Use HUD's PHA contact list at hud.gov to find nearby agencies.
Sources
- HUD, Office of Public and Indian Housing: Housing Choice Voucher Program overview: MHA operates under an Annual Contributions Contract with HUD; HCV payment structure and PHA obligations
- HUD, PIH Notice on waiting list administration: PHAs may use lottery or first-come-first-served methods and must publish preferences in their Administrative Plan
- HUD, Picture of Subsidized Households database: MHA serves approximately 7,000-7,500 voucher-assisted households; large urban PHA average wait times
- Code of Federal Regulations, 24 CFR Part 982: Section 8 Tenant-Based Assistance: Tenant payment calculation (30%/40% rules), HQS inspection requirements (982.401), portability rights (982.353), criminal history disqualifications (982.553), informal hearing rights (982.555)
- HUD, FY2025 Income Limits documentation: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area income limits by household size for 50% AMI threshold
- HUD, FY2025 Fair Market Rents documentation: HUD FY2025 FMRs for the Memphis, TN-MS-AR MSA by bedroom size
- Code of Federal Regulations, 24 CFR Part 35: Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention: Visual assessment requirements for pre-1978 units under HQS inspections
- U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Memphis city, Tennessee: Memphis poverty rate consistently above 20%, among highest of large U.S. cities
- Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA): Programs overview: THDA administers state-level rental assistance, homebuyer programs, and statewide HCV allocation outside major cities
- HUD, Find HUD-Assisted Multifamily Properties search tool: HUD search tool for project-based Section 8, Section 202, and Section 811 properties in Memphis