Last updated 2026-07-09
TL;DR
Prince George's County, Maryland runs its own Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program through the Housing Authority of Prince George's County (HAPGC). The waitlist opens rarely. FY2025 income limits run from about $44,750 (1 person) to $84,350 (8 persons) at 50 percent of area median income. Payment standards vary by unit size and zip code.
What is the PG County housing voucher and who runs it?
The PG County housing voucher is a federally funded rent subsidy run locally by the Housing Authority of Prince George's County (HAPGC), headquartered in Largo, Maryland. The underlying program is HUD's Housing Choice Voucher program, authorized under Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937 and governed today by 24 CFR Part 982 [1]. HAPGC is one of the larger public housing authorities in the Washington metro area, and it serves Prince George's County only.
Here's the mechanics. HAPGC pays part of your rent straight to your landlord each month. You pay the gap between what HAPGC covers and the actual rent, with one ceiling: your share generally can't top 40 percent of your adjusted monthly income at initial lease-up [1]. That ceiling keeps families out of units they can't really afford.
The voucher is tenant-based. You hold it, not the unit. Move to a new qualifying unit anywhere in the country and the subsidy follows you, within portability rules. That's a real edge over project-based assistance, where leaving the building usually means leaving the subsidy behind.
Prince George's County is its own jurisdiction, separate from Montgomery County, Fairfax County across the river, or the DC Housing Authority. Each one runs a separate waiting list, sets its own payment standards, and handles its own intake. A Fairfax County housing voucher, for instance, comes from the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority in Virginia, with different income limits and payment standards [2]. You can move between jurisdictions through portability, but it takes coordination between both authorities.
Is the PG County Section 8 waiting list open right now?
Check HAPGC's website directly, because the list opens and closes on no fixed schedule. As of mid-2025, HAPGC's waiting list has been closed to new general applications, with no announced reopening date. That's normal. Most large metro housing authorities keep their lists shut most of the time because demand runs way past the supply of vouchers [3].
When the list does open, HAPGC usually takes applications for a short window, often a few days, then runs a lottery among everyone who applied. Being first in line means nothing. Placement is randomized after the window closes, so applying in the first hour beats applying in the last hour by exactly zero. That leads to one hard rule: don't pay anyone to "hold your spot" or promise placement. There are no spots to hold.
The best free way to catch an opening is to sign up for HAPGC's email alerts at their official site (hapgc.org) and to watch open Section 8 waiting lists trackers that follow PHA announcements nationwide. HAPGC also posts notices in local papers and county communications.
Apply elsewhere while you wait. The DC Housing Authority serves District residents. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development runs a state-level voucher program. Some smaller Maryland PHAs carry shorter lists. None of them transfer into PG County jurisdiction on their own, but any of them can help right now.
What are the income limits for the PG County housing voucher?
HUD sets these limits every year based on Area Median Income (AMI) for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, which takes in Prince George's County [4]. To qualify for a voucher, your household income has to land at or below 50 percent of AMI, the level HUD calls Very Low Income. For FY2025, the PG County numbers are:
| Household size | Very Low Income (50% AMI) | Extremely Low Income (30% AMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $44,750 | $26,850 |
| 2 persons | $51,150 | $30,700 |
| 3 persons | $57,550 | $34,550 |
| 4 persons | $63,900 | $38,350 |
| 5 persons | $69,050 | $41,450 |
| 6 persons | $74,150 | $44,500 |
| 7 persons | $79,250 | $47,600 |
| 8 persons | $84,350 | $50,650 |
Source: HUD FY2025 Income Limits, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria MSA [4]
Federal law also requires that 75 percent of newly issued vouchers go to households at or below 30 percent of AMI, the Extremely Low Income tier [1]. So the shortest effective waits go to the lowest-income households.
Income counts gross annual income from all sources for every household member 18 and older, with specific exclusions and deductions defined in 24 CFR 5.609 [1]. Some income is left out entirely: certain earned income of full-time students, foster care payments, and a slice of earned income for some households moving off welfare.
Household size drives a lot. A family of four can earn nearly $64,000 and still qualify. A single person gets cut off around $44,750. Run your own household numbers before you decide you don't qualify.
What are HAPGC's payment standards in 2025?
A payment standard is HAPGC's maximum monthly subsidy for a given unit size. It is not the maximum rent you can pay. That difference matters. You can rent a unit above the payment standard as long as the rent is reasonable and you can cover the gap without your share passing 40 percent of income at initial lease-up [1].
HAPGC sets payment standards between 90 and 110 percent of HUD's published Fair Market Rents (FMRs), and it can go higher with HUD approval in tight markets [1]. For FY2025, HUD's Fair Market Rents for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria HUD Metro FMR Area, which covers PG County, run roughly:
| Unit size | HUD FMR (FY2025) |
|---|---|
| Efficiency (0 BR) | $1,642 |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,856 |
| 2 Bedroom | $2,171 |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,762 |
| 4 Bedroom | $3,183 |
Source: HUD FY2025 Fair Market Rents, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, MD-VA-WV [5]
HAPGC's actual standards can sit up to 10 percent above or below these FMRs, or higher with HUD approval through the Small Area FMR process. Get the current HAPGC payment standard schedule straight from the authority before you sign a lease, because these numbers move every year.
Small Area FMRs (SAFMRs) are a separate tool HUD uses in high-cost metros to set standards zip code by zip code instead of one number for the whole metro. Certain high-cost PG County zip codes (parts of College Park, Greenbelt, and Bowie, for example) can carry higher payment standards under SAFMR rules than cheaper zip codes in the same county. That's the point. It lets voucher holders reach neighborhoods they otherwise couldn't afford [5].
How long does the PG County voucher process actually take?
Two separate timelines live here, and people mix them up constantly. First, the wait from application to getting a voucher. Second, the wait from getting a voucher to moving in.
Waitlist to voucher: nobody has reliable current data for HAPGC, and any site quoting a precise average is guessing. The closest honest benchmark comes from HUD research on PHA wait times, which found median waits running past three years in some large metros [3]. PG County is a high-demand, high-cost market. Waits of three to seven years are plausible based on reports from Maryland advocacy groups, though HAPGC doesn't publish a current average, so treat that range as an estimate, not a promise.
Voucher to move-in: once the voucher is in your hand, you usually get 60 days to find a unit, submit it for HAPGC approval, and pass inspection. HAPGC can grant extensions if you're actively searching. HUD guidance at 24 CFR 982.303 lets PHAs set this search period and grant extensions at their discretion [1]. Sixty days is tight in a market as competitive as PG County. Start looking the day you get the voucher.
The inspection step adds time. After you find a unit and the owner agrees, HAPGC has to inspect it before assistance starts. Fail, and the owner gets a chance to fix the problems. If repairs drag on for weeks, that eats your search clock. This is one of the most common reasons vouchers expire unused.
Total practical timeline, from list opening to move-in, for someone drawn early in a lottery cycle: somewhere between four and ten years. It's a grim number. It's also the realistic range.
How do you apply for the PG County housing voucher when the waitlist opens?
When HAPGC opens the list, you apply online through their portal or, in some cases, on paper at their office. The steps run like this:
1. Watch for announcements through HAPGC's website (hapgc.org), their email alert list, and Prince George's County government channels. 2. Gather your information before the window opens: full legal names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for every household member; current address; income documentation; and citizenship or eligible immigrant status for each member. 3. Submit during the open window. Day one versus day three usually doesn't change your lottery odds, but don't wait for the final hours in case the portal chokes. 4. After the window closes, HAPGC runs the lottery and assigns preliminary waitlist positions. 5. You get a confirmation with your position, or a denial if you missed basic eligibility.
Things that don't help, so ignore them: third parties charging a fee to apply (HAPGC's application is always free), anyone promising faster placement, and services claiming insider access to the list. None of that is real.
If you want to track every open list while you wait, a rental assistance search across multiple PHAs at once saves real time. Once you're on the HAPGC list, update your contact info the moment it changes. A PHA that can't reach you will drop you from the list.
What happens at the HAPGC briefing and eligibility interview?
When your name comes up, HAPGC schedules a preliminary eligibility interview and, if you pass, a voucher briefing. Two distinct steps.
The eligibility interview verifies what you put on your application: income, household composition, citizenship or eligible immigration status, and any history of prior program violations. Criminal background checks happen here. HUD's rule at 24 CFR 982.553 bars housing authorities from issuing vouchers to households with certain drug-related criminal convictions, but PHAs keep discretion in many other cases [1]. HAPGC's exact policies live in their Administrative Plan, a public document on their website.
Clear the interview and you attend a briefing, now often run by video. The briefing walks through how the voucher works, your search area, payment standards, what HAPGC will and won't pay for, your responsibilities as a tenant, and the inspection process. You leave with a packet holding the HUD Housing Choice Voucher document, which names the unit size you're authorized to rent (the "voucher size") and your search deadline.
Read the voucher size closely. A two-bedroom voucher generally won't stretch to a three-bedroom unit. Household composition sets the authorized size under HUD's occupancy standards.
After the briefing, you're searching. The clock is running.
How does the PG County Housing Choice Voucher work for landlords?
A landlord in Prince George's County who takes Section 8 vouchers signs a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract with HAPGC, not with the tenant. HAPGC deposits its share of the rent to the landlord each month by direct deposit. The tenant pays their share straight to the landlord.
The main landlord duties: the unit has to pass a HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection before the lease starts, the rent has to be reasonable next to comparable unassisted units nearby, and the owner has to keep the unit at HQS the whole lease [1]. HAPGC runs the initial inspection and re-inspects annually or every other year.
Landlords set the rent. HAPGC doesn't dictate it. But HAPGC will only approve rent that clears a "rent reasonableness" test. Ask $2,500 for a one-bedroom where comparable units go for $1,900, and HAPGC rejects it or negotiates it down. The landlord can walk at the lower figure.
Maryland law matters here. Maryland has no statewide source-of-income anti-discrimination law as of mid-2025, but Prince George's County does ban discrimination based on source of income, which includes vouchers, under Prince George's County Code Section 2-186 [6]. A PG County landlord who turns away a voucher applicant because of the voucher may be breaking county law.
New to the program? A structured setup guide, like the one in VoucherReady's landlord kit, cuts the back-and-forth with HAPGC by getting your lease documents, inspection prep, and rent documentation in order before you submit.
Listing a unit? Section 8 houses for rent aggregators and HAPGC's own landlord outreach office are two good starting points.
Can you port a PG County voucher to another county or state?
Yes, with conditions. Portability under 24 CFR 982.353 lets a household use its voucher outside the PHA's jurisdiction once it clears the residency requirement [1]. HAPGC's residency policy, set in its Administrative Plan, spells out what that means for new applicants.
The mechanics: HAPGC (the "initial PHA") either bills the receiving PHA for the payments or absorbs the move by billing HUD directly. The receiving PHA inspects the new unit, applies its own payment standards, and runs its own rent reasonableness check on the local market. Port from PG County to Fairfax County and you'd operate under Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority rules, which can be higher or lower depending on the neighborhood [2].
Porting can take 30 to 90 days in practice, because two authorities have to trade paperwork, so start well before your search deadline hits. Some receiving PHAs are slow. Keep records of every call and email.
Porting out during a strong local market can work in your favor if you're heading to a jurisdiction with higher payment standards for the zip code you want. Do the math on where the subsidy stretches further before you assume you should stay put.
For a full walkthrough of porting across jurisdictions, the housing choice voucher program overview covers the federal rules in detail.
What are PG County housing voucher holders' rights and responsibilities?
HUD's rules in 24 CFR 982 lay out obligations on both sides of the lease [1]. As a voucher holder in PG County, your main duties are these.
Pay your share of rent on time. HAPGC's subsidy depends on it. Stop paying, the landlord starts eviction, and HAPGC ends your assistance.
Report income and household changes inside the window HAPGC sets, usually 30 days. A new household member, a new job, a raise: all of it gets reported. Failing to report counts as fraud and can trigger repayment demands or termination.
Maintain the unit and don't cause damage beyond normal wear and tear. HQS failures from tenant neglect can suspend payments until repairs happen, and the cost to fix tenant-caused damage can be charged back to you.
Follow your lease. HAPGC can end assistance for lease violations, including criminal activity on or near the property.
Now the rights. HAPGC has to give you an informal hearing before it terminates or suspends your assistance, under 24 CFR 982.555 [1]. You have the right to see the specific reasons, present evidence, and bring someone (an attorney or advocate) with you. Use it. Termination decisions get made in error sometimes, and the hearing process reverses some of them.
Think HAPGC acted wrongly? You can also file a complaint with HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity [7]. The process is slow, but it builds a record.
For Maryland tenant protections stacked on top of federal rules, the Maryland Attorney General's office publishes a landlord-tenant guide. State-level rights, like the two-month cap on security deposits under Maryland Code Real Property 8-203, apply to voucher holders the same as any other tenant [8].
How does HAPGC compare to other local housing authorities?
PG County is one piece of a messy patchwork across the National Capital region. Here's a rough comparison of key program parameters across neighboring authorities:
| Housing Authority | Jurisdiction | List Status (mid-2025) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAPGC | Prince George's County, MD | Closed | Large waitlist; lottery-based when open |
| DC Housing Authority (DCHA) | Washington, DC | Closed (years) | Among the longest known waits in the region |
| Fairfax County RPHA | Fairfax County, VA | Closed | High payment standards for Northern Virginia |
| Montgomery County DHCA | Montgomery County, MD | Closed | State and county vouchers; separate lists |
| MD DHCD | Statewide (MD) | Varies by program | State-administered; separate from local PHAs |
Source: Individual PHA websites; HUD PHA contact database [9]
The Fairfax County housing voucher program serves Virginia residents through the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority, which sets its own payment standards off Northern Virginia rents, generally higher than PG County's [2]. Porting a PG County voucher into Fairfax County is possible, but it takes coordination between both authorities plus acceptance by Fairfax.
Open to any jurisdiction in the region? Apply to every open list you find. There's no penalty for sitting on multiple waiting lists at once, and no obligation to take a voucher from a jurisdiction you later rule out. The open section 8 waiting lists tracker is one tool for watching which PHAs are accepting applications at any given moment.
Are there other housing assistance options in PG County beyond the voucher?
The Housing Choice Voucher is the best-known subsidy, but it isn't the only one in PG County.
Public housing: HAPGC also runs a small number of public housing units. These differ from vouchers because you live in an HAPGC-owned building instead of a private unit, and the waitlist is separate. Availability is very limited.
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties: dozens of privately owned complexes in PG County hold income-restricted units under the low income housing tax credit program. No voucher needed. Eligibility rides on income at application, usually 50 to 60 percent of AMI, and rents are capped below market. Waitlists vary by property and often run shorter than the HAPGC voucher list.
Maryland Rental Assistance Program: the state Department of Housing and Community Development runs a state-level rental assistance program with its own eligibility and payment structure, separate from HUD-funded vouchers [10].
Emergency rental assistance: Prince George's County has at times run emergency rental assistance funded by federal emergency dollars. Short-term, and not a voucher, but it can bridge a crisis.
For seniors, low income senior housing in PG County includes HUD Section 202 developments, which are federally subsidized but separate from the voucher program.
VoucherReady's free tenant tools help you track multiple programs and lists at once, which is the sane way to work a market this tight.
None of these is as flexible as a Housing Choice Voucher. But given the voucher wait, chasing several programs at once is the only strategy that makes sense.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my position on the HAPGC waiting list?
Log into your HAPGC applicant portal at hapgc.org with the credentials you made when you applied. The portal shows your current waitlist position and any notices from the authority. If you applied on paper or lost account access, call HAPGC's main office directly. Don't rely on third-party sites to check your position. They have no access to HAPGC's internal data.
Can I use a PG County housing voucher to rent anywhere in Maryland?
After you meet HAPGC's residency requirement, you can port your voucher to another Maryland jurisdiction or even another state. The receiving authority takes over administration and applies its own payment standards. Porting within Maryland is common, but HAPGC has to start the portability request for you, which takes coordination time. Begin the process at least 30 days before your voucher expires.
What does the HQS inspection look for in a PG County rental?
HAPGC inspectors check against HUD's Housing Quality Standards under 24 CFR 982.401. Key items: working smoke detectors, no peeling lead paint in units with children under six, functional heating and plumbing, secure windows and doors, no major structural defects, and a working kitchen with refrigerator and stove. Units that fail can be re-inspected after repairs. The landlord pays to fix HQS failures caused by deferred maintenance.
What happens if my income goes up after I get a PG County voucher?
Report the change to HAPGC inside the window in your voucher agreement, usually 30 days. Your subsidy gets recalculated at the next interim or annual recertification. Higher income means you pay a bigger share of rent. You keep the voucher as long as income stays below the applicable limit. If income climbs above program limits, HAPGC phases out assistance rather than cutting it off at once, but eventually you'd be ineligible.
Does Prince George's County require landlords to accept Section 8 vouchers?
Yes. Prince George's County's human rights ordinance bans discrimination based on source of income, which covers Housing Choice Vouchers. A landlord who refuses to rent to someone only because they hold a voucher may be violating county law. This protection doesn't exist in every Maryland county or statewide. Tenants who think they were refused because of their voucher can file with the Prince George's County Human Relations Commission.
How much will my share of rent be with a PG County housing voucher?
Your share is the difference between the actual rent (or the payment standard, whichever is lower) and HAPGC's subsidy. The subsidy is set so you pay roughly 30 percent of your adjusted monthly income toward rent and utilities. At initial lease-up, your total share including utilities can't top 40 percent of adjusted gross monthly income. As rent or income changes, that percentage shifts at each recertification.
Can a landlord charge a voucher holder a higher deposit than other tenants?
No. A landlord can't charge you more for a security deposit because you hold a voucher. Maryland law caps deposits at two months' rent for all tenants under Maryland Code Real Property Section 8-203. Charging a voucher holder a higher deposit than a non-voucher tenant in otherwise identical circumstances would also implicate the county's source-of-income protection.
What is the PG housing voucher bedroom size, and can I get a larger unit?
HAPGC assigns a bedroom size (voucher size) based on household composition, using HUD's occupancy guidelines. The baseline is generally one bedroom per two people, with some adjustments for age, gender, and disability. You can rent a unit smaller than your authorized size if everyone in the household agrees and it meets HQS. Renting larger is possible if the unit passes inspection and you can cover any cost difference, but HAPGC has to approve it.
Are there preferences that move people to the front of HAPGC's waiting list?
Many housing authorities apply local preferences to move certain applicants ahead in the lottery queue. Common ones: households displaced by government action, homeless households, veterans, and current residents of the jurisdiction. HAPGC's specific preferences sit in its Administrative Plan and can change each time the list opens. Read the announcement carefully when the list opens. Preference categories are listed in the application instructions.
What if my PG County voucher expires before I find a unit?
Contact HAPGC before the expiration date and ask for an extension. Under HUD rules at 24 CFR 982.303, PHAs can grant extensions at their discretion. Show documentation of your search: apartment applications, rejection letters, listings you chased. Extensions come easier when you can prove active, good-faith searching. If the voucher expires without one, you go back to the waitlist, which can mean years more waiting.
Does HAPGC have a landlord incentive program?
HAPGC has at times offered landlord bonuses, lighter paperwork, and direct outreach to owners willing to take vouchers. Specifics change with funding cycles. Call HAPGC's landlord services unit directly to ask what's available now. PG County's source-of-income protection already means landlords have to at least consider voucher applicants, but incentive programs are meant to make participation more appealing on the practical side.
Can a family be evicted from a unit while holding a PG County voucher?
Yes. A voucher doesn't shield you from eviction for lease violations: nonpayment of your rent share, property damage, unauthorized occupants, or criminal activity. An eviction can also lead HAPGC to terminate your voucher, which ends more than the tenancy. If you get a notice to quit or an eviction summons, contact a Maryland legal aid organization right away. HAPGC has to give you a hearing before terminating assistance, which is your chance to present your side.
Sources
- HUD, Code of Federal Regulations 24 CFR Part 982 (Housing Choice Vouchers): Housing Choice Voucher program rules including payment standards, tenant share limits, search periods, portability, hearing rights, and HQS requirements
- Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority: Fairfax County administers its own Housing Choice Voucher program with separate income limits and payment standards reflecting Northern Virginia rents
- HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, Worst Case Housing Needs Report to Congress: HCV waitlist times for large urban PHAs commonly run past three years given demand well above voucher supply
- HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY2025 Income Limits Documentation System: FY2025 Very Low Income (50% AMI) and Extremely Low Income (30% AMI) limits for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria MSA including Prince George's County
- HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY2025 Fair Market Rents: FY2025 Fair Market Rents for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria HUD Metro FMR Area covering Prince George's County by unit size
- Prince George's County Human Relations Commission (Human Rights Ordinance, Source of Income Protections): Prince George's County prohibits discrimination in housing based on source of income, including Housing Choice Vouchers
- HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, File a Complaint: Tenants can file fair housing complaints with HUD's FHEO regarding improper treatment by a PHA or landlord
- Maryland Attorney General, Landlord-Tenant Law (Real Property Article 8-203): Maryland law caps security deposits at two months' rent and applies to all tenants including voucher holders
- HUD, Public Housing Authority Contact Information: Contact and jurisdiction information for public housing authorities in the National Capital region
- Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development: Maryland runs a state-level rental assistance program separate from HUD-funded Housing Choice Vouchers
- Housing Authority of Prince George's County, Official Website: HAPGC administers the Housing Choice Voucher program and public housing for Prince George's County, Maryland