St. Louis Housing Authority: Section 8 waitlist, vouchers, and how it works

Last updated 2026-07-09

What is the St. Louis Housing Authority and which one covers you?

There are two agencies, and picking the wrong one costs you months. People search "St. Louis Housing Authority" and assume it's one office. It isn't.

The St. Louis Housing Authority (SLHA) covers the City of St. Louis, which is its own independent municipality, legally separate from St. Louis County ^[1]. Live inside city limits, and SLHA is your agency. Its main office sits at 3520 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63106.

The Housing Authority of St. Louis County (HASL) covers the surrounding county, including cities like Clayton, Florissant, Kirkwood, and Webster Groves ^[2]. These are separate programs with separate waitlists, separate payment standards, and separate landlord pools. Mixing them up is one of the most common applicant mistakes, and it can set you back by months.

Both agencies run the Housing Choice Voucher program, usually called Section 8, under HUD rules at 24 CFR Part 982 ^[3]. They also manage public housing units and project-based vouchers. But the tenant-based voucher, the one where you find your own apartment, is what most people mean when they ask about Section 8.

Not sure which side of the line you're on? A quick check of your zip code against the city boundary on Google Maps usually settles it. The city of St. Louis uses zip codes from 63101 to 63169. County zips tend to start 631xx or 630xx but sprawl a lot. When in doubt, call both agencies.

What programs does SLHA offer beyond Section 8 vouchers?

SLHA runs several programs, more than vouchers. That matters because voucher waitlists are often closed while other programs still have room.

The core programs at SLHA:

Program	What it is	Who it serves
Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)	Tenant-based subsidy; you find private housing	Low-income families, individuals, elderly, disabled
Public Housing	SLHA-owned units rented below market rate	Families and seniors on the housing register
Project-Based Vouchers (PBV)	Subsidy attached to a specific unit or building	Applicants who accept placement at that property
HCV Homeownership	Voucher applied toward mortgage payment	Current voucher holders meeting income/employment criteria
Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS)	Escrow savings program for HCV participants	Voucher holders working toward economic independence

FSS deserves a hard look. If you already hold a voucher and your income climbs, the chunk of rent increase that would normally come out of your pocket goes into an escrow account instead. Finish the 5-year contract and that money is yours, tax-free, to spend however you want ^[4]. Most people never hear about it.

HASL runs its own HCV, public housing, and PBV programs. Same categories, different inventory, income thresholds, and payment standards for county properties.

How do you apply to the SLHA Section 8 waitlist?

You can only apply when the waitlist is open, and SLHA doesn't keep one open all the time. The agency announces openings on its website (stlha.org), through local media, and through Missouri's 211 helpline ^[1].

When a waitlist opens, applications usually run through a web portal. Paper applications have shown up at the office during in-person opening events, but that varies. The last time SLHA opened its city HCV waitlist, it took applications for a limited window and then ran a lottery among all valid submissions, rather than a first-come, first-served queue. Here's what that means for you: applying on day one instead of day seven of a two-week window usually doesn't change your odds.

To apply you'll generally need:

• Full legal names, Social Security numbers, and birthdates for everyone in the household
• Current address and contact information
• Income information for the household (employment, benefits, child support, etc.)
• Disclosure of any prior evictions from federally assisted housing
• Disclosure of certain criminal history (HUD requires PHAs to consider it but bars lifetime bans on most offenses since 2015 ^[3])

You don't need your lease, pay stubs, or ID documents at the application stage for most waitlists. You will need all of that when you're actually called.

On the county side, HASL's waitlist works the same general way on its own schedule. The two lists are fully independent. Being on one doesn't affect the other, and you can sit on both at once.

To track open lists in Missouri and nationally, VoucherReady's open section 8 waiting lists tracker is a reasonable first stop.

Once you're on a list, update your contact info the moment it changes. SLHA sends one notice when your name comes up. If that notice bounces or you miss it, you can lose your spot for good.

How long is the St. Louis Section 8 waitlist wait time?

Nobody has good real-time data on this, and anyone who tells you a precise number is guessing. SLHA does not publish a live wait estimate. The last time the city waitlist got public attention in local media, estimates ran from two to five years or more, depending on household size and preference category ^[1].

Three things drive the wait:

Preference points. SLHA moves certain applicants up the list: households currently homeless or in transitional housing, victims of domestic violence, veterans, households that live or work in the City of St. Louis, and households displaced by government action ^[1]. About 75% of new voucher holders nationally come from households earning below 30% of area median income, because HUD requires PHAs to target 75% of new admissions to that group ^[3].

Voucher availability. When HUD funding stays flat or gets cut, agencies issue fewer vouchers per year. When a holder leaves the program (a move, a lease violation, a home purchase), that voucher cycles back. Congress's annual appropriations directly control how many St. Louis families clear the list in a given year.

Household size. Bigger units turn over less often. A family needing four bedrooms usually waits longer than a single adult needing one, simply because fewer vouchers at that bedroom size get issued each year.

The practical play: get on the list the day it opens, apply for both SLHA and HASL if you're open to either jurisdiction, and look at project-based voucher options at specific properties. Those sometimes move faster, because applicants get assigned to a building instead of waiting for a portable voucher.

What are the income limits to qualify for Section 8 in St. Louis?

HUD sets income limits every year for the St. Louis metro area, officially the St. Louis-St. Louis County HUD Metropolitan FMR Area. The limits track Area Median Income (AMI) and break out by household size ^[5].

For fiscal year 2024, HUD's income limits for the St. Louis area (rounded; confirm current figures at HUD's income limits tool) run roughly like this:

Household Size	Very Low Income (50% AMI)	Extremely Low Income (30% AMI)
1 person	~$36,850	~$22,100
2 persons	~$42,100	~$25,250
3 persons	~$47,350	~$28,400
4 persons	~$52,550	~$31,550
5 persons	~$56,750	~$34,100
6 persons	~$60,950	~$36,600

To qualify for the HCV program, household income generally has to sit at or below 50% AMI, the "Very Low Income" line ^[3]. But HUD requires PHAs to use 75% of vouchers for households at 30% AMI or below, so people at the bottom of the income scale get priority in practice ^[3].

HUD updates these limits every spring. Check current numbers at the HUD Income Limits page on huduser.gov ^[5]. The city and county can run slightly different AMI math if HUD treats them as separate Fair Market Rent areas, so confirm the area designation for whichever agency you're applying to.

What are SLHA's payment standards and how much does a voucher actually cover?

Payment standards are the ceiling on what an agency will pay toward rent and utilities for a given unit size. Each PHA sets them locally, inside a range HUD allows based on the area's Fair Market Rents (FMRs) ^[3].

HUD publishes FMRs for the St. Louis metro area each year. For FY2024, HUD's published FMRs for the St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area run roughly ^[6]:

Bedroom Size	FY2024 FMR (approx.)
0-BR (efficiency)	$797
1-BR	$940
2-BR	$1,148
3-BR	$1,490
4-BR	$1,731

SLHA can set payment standards anywhere from 90% to 110% of these FMRs without special HUD approval, and up to 120% with approval ^[3]. So the real payment standard might land above or below the FMR. Always ask the agency for its current payment standard schedule. They have to provide it.

Here's how it hits your wallet. Say a 2-BR rents for $1,200, the payment standard is $1,148, and your portion works out to 30% of your adjusted monthly income. The agency covers the gap between your portion and the rent. You can rent above the payment standard if the total rent passes a "rent reasonableness" test, but you pay 100% of anything above it. Under HUD rules, your initial tenant portion cannot exceed 40% of your monthly adjusted income at first lease-up ^[3].

For more on how payment standards feed into your monthly bill, the rent-and-payment-standards section of this site breaks it down in full.

What are the inspection requirements for St. Louis Section 8 units?

Before a voucher holder moves in, and then every year after, the unit has to pass a HUD Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection ^[3]. This applies to both SLHA (city) and HASL (county) tenants.

HQS covers 13 categories: sanitary facilities, food preparation areas, space and security, thermal environment, illumination and electricity, structure and materials, interior air quality, water supply, lead-based paint, access, site and neighborhood conditions, sanitary conditions, and smoke detectors. The full standard sits at 24 CFR 982.401 ^[3].

Common reasons St. Louis units fail an initial HQS inspection:

• Inoperable smoke or carbon monoxide detectors
• Peeling paint (treated as a possible lead hazard in pre-1978 units)
• Broken windows, missing screens, or damaged locks
• Plumbing leaks or fixtures that don't work
• Electrical panels or outlets that look unsafe
• No working heat capable of holding 68 degrees F

If a unit fails, the landlord gets a short window (often 24 to 30 days for routine items, 24 hours for anything life-threatening) to fix the problems. The voucher holder can't move in until it passes. If the landlord blows the deadline, the applicant has to find another unit.

Landlords who want to get ahead of the inspector should do a self-walkthrough with HUD's HQS checklist, which is public on HUD's website ^[7]. It's one of the smartest things a first-time Section 8 landlord can do.

How does porting a Section 8 voucher to or from St. Louis work?

Portability lets a voucher holder use their subsidy outside the jurisdiction that issued it. In St. Louis this matters a lot, because the region is split. City and county are separate agencies, and someone might hold a county voucher but want to rent in the city, or the reverse.

Under 24 CFR 982.353, a voucher holder who has lived in the issuing agency's jurisdiction for at least 12 months can port anywhere in the United States where a PHA operates ^[3]. Before 12 months, portability is tighter. You can generally port only to a jurisdiction where you already live or where you work.

Say you hold an SLHA voucher and want to move to St. Louis County. You notify SLHA of your intent to port, SLHA contacts HASL as the "receiving PHA," and HASL either absorbs your voucher (puts you on its subsidy, using its payment standards) or bills SLHA (SLHA keeps you on its books while you live in the county). Both outcomes are valid. The receiving PHA decides.

Porting out of the region entirely, to Kansas City or Chicago, works the same way. Porting in works too: hold a voucher elsewhere, contact your current PHA, and start the move to St. Louis.

Timelines vary. Give it 30 to 60 days for paperwork to move between agencies. Your voucher's expiration clock keeps ticking during a port, so start early. Shopping in several St. Louis County suburbs? Some suburban landlord markets know vouchers less well, which can make the search harder even when the process is legally identical.

For a full walkthrough of the mechanics, the moving-and-porting section covers national portability rules in detail.

How do landlords get approved to accept Section 8 in St. Louis?

There's no pre-approved landlord list. Approval is unit-specific, not landlord-specific. A voucher holder finds a unit, brings the voucher to the landlord, and if the landlord agrees, both parties start the process with the housing authority.

The steps for a landlord new to St. Louis Section 8:

1. The tenant brings you a Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) form. You fill out your section with the unit address, requested rent, and utilities included. 2. SLHA or HASL runs a rent reasonableness check, comparing your asking rent to unassisted units of similar size and quality in the same neighborhood. If your rent is out of line, they'll tell you what they'll approve. 3. The unit gets scheduled for an HQS inspection. You or your property manager should be present, or at least reachable. 4. If the unit passes (or after you fix what failed), SLHA or HASL signs a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract with you. The tenant signs the lease at the same time. 5. Payments start. SLHA's HAP contract direct-deposits the agency's share to the landlord, usually on or around the first of the month.

Missouri has no statewide source-of-income protection law as of mid-2024, so landlords in most St. Louis jurisdictions can legally turn down vouchers ^[8]. A few municipalities inside St. Louis County have passed local ordinances, but coverage is patchy. This is a real friction point in the market.

Here's the tradeoff for landlords. Once the unit passes inspection and the HAP contract is signed, the agency's portion of rent lands reliably and on time. The headaches are annual inspections, the initial approval lag (often 30 to 60 days from RFTA to first payment), and the requirement to notify the agency before any lease changes.

For a full overview of what becoming a Section 8 landlord involves, the landlords hub on this site covers the HAP contract, landlord obligations, and what to do when a tenant violates the lease.

What are tenant rights under the Section 8 program in St. Louis?

Voucher holders have rights under both HUD regulations and Missouri landlord-tenant law. The two bodies of law stack on top of each other.

Under HUD's regulations, your core rights as a voucher holder include ^[3]:

• A briefing explaining the program before you search for housing
• A written explanation of how your rent share is calculated
• An informal hearing if SLHA or HASL moves to terminate your assistance, cut your subsidy, or deny a transfer
• Reasonable accommodation if you or a household member has a disability (this can mean a larger unit size, waiving certain screening criteria, or accepting requests for accessible units)
• The right to move with your voucher after the initial lease term, including porting out of the area

Under Missouri law, landlords have to provide habitable housing and give proper notice before entering a unit (typically 24 hours for non-emergency repairs) ^[9]. Missouri's security deposit law caps deposits at two months' rent and requires return within 30 days of vacancy ^[9].

One nuance worth knowing. In a Section 8 tenancy, a landlord can't evict you without going through normal Missouri court eviction procedures AND notifying the housing authority. The agency is a party to your tenancy through the HAP contract. If a landlord tries to evict without proper notice, or tries to collect side payments not in the lease, those violate both the HAP contract and Missouri law.

Think your rights got violated? The first step is usually requesting an informal hearing with the housing authority. You can also file a complaint with HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity ^[10]. Missouri Legal Services provides free or low-cost legal help for housing issues at lsmo.org ^[9].

The tenant-rights section of VoucherReady has more on informal hearings, reasonable accommodations, and what happens when a landlord sells the property mid-lease.

What other rental assistance options exist in St. Louis if Section 8 isn't available?

When the voucher waitlist is closed or your name hasn't surfaced, other programs are worth knowing.

Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) runs Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties across the state ^[11]. These are privately owned apartment complexes that took tax credits in exchange for keeping rents affordable, usually at 50% or 60% of AMI. Each property runs its own waitlist, and many wait less time than the HCV program. Search the MHDC property database or ask 211 Missouri.

Project-based vouchers at specific properties. Some St. Louis buildings have project-based vouchers attached to individual units. You apply to the property, not the housing authority. Get offered a PBV unit and you get assistance right away instead of waiting on the portable voucher list. After 12 months in a PBV unit, you can usually request a portable voucher.

Emergency rental assistance. Missouri received federal ERA funds through 2021-2022, and local nonprofits in St. Louis still hold limited emergency rental assistance for households facing eviction. St. Patrick Center, Beyond Housing, and the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council have long histories of housing help in the area. 211 Missouri (dial 2-1-1) stays the fastest way to find what's funded right now.

Homelessness prevention programs. The St. Louis Continuum of Care coordinates resources for households that are literally homeless or at imminent risk. Rapid Rehousing programs inside that system can cover move-in costs and short-term rental subsidies while a family stabilizes.

For broader context on what's out there in Missouri and nationally, the rental-assistance overview is a good starting point, and the hud-housing page lays out the different HUD program types side by side.

How do you contact SLHA and HASL directly?

Both agencies publish contact info and run websites, though phone hold times can drag.

St. Louis Housing Authority (City)

• Address: 3520 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63106
• Phone: (314) 534-6000
• Website: stlha.org
• Hours: Check the website; walk-in hours changed after the pandemic

Housing Authority of St. Louis County

• Address: 8865 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO 63121
• Phone: (314) 428-3200
• Website: haslc.com
• HASL serves the county and handles its own applications, waitlists, and inspections, fully separate from SLHA

Both agencies run portals for checking waitlist status if you've already applied. Applied during a previous opening? Keep your confirmation number. Without it, verifying your position is a pain.

Landlords, both agencies have dedicated website sections with landlord packets, HAP contract templates, and inspection scheduling contacts. Calling the landlord services line directly tends to get a faster answer than the general number.

Missouri's 211 service (dial 2-1-1 or visit 211missouri.org) can route you to the right agency, especially if you're unsure whether you're in the city or the county.

Frequently asked questions

Is the St. Louis Housing Authority waitlist currently open?

As of this writing, neither SLHA nor HASL keeps a permanently open waitlist. Both agencies announce openings on their websites and through local media when slots free up. Your best move is to check stlha.org and haslc.com regularly, sign up for their mailing lists if available, and call 211 Missouri for current status. Openings can happen with little notice and close fast.

Can I apply to both the city and county Section 8 waiting lists at the same time?

Yes. SLHA (city) and HASL (county) are separate agencies with separate waitlists. Being on one has no effect on the other. If both lists happen to be open at once, applying to both is a smart move, especially if you're flexible about which part of the metro you live in. Take whichever voucher comes through first and drop off the other list if you want.

How long does SLHA take to process a Section 8 application after you're called off the waitlist?

Once your name comes up, SLHA usually schedules an eligibility interview within a few weeks. Bring documents verifying income, identity, and household composition. Interview to voucher issuance commonly takes four to eight weeks. After you get your voucher, you usually have 60 to 120 days to find a unit, though extensions are available for good cause.

What documents do I need to bring to a St. Louis Housing Authority eligibility interview?

Bring government photo ID for all adult household members, Social Security cards or proof of Social Security numbers for everyone, birth certificates for minor children, documentation of all income sources (pay stubs, benefit award letters, child support orders), recent bank statements, and current lease or proof of address. Bringing more than you think you need beats missing something that stalls your voucher.

What happens if a Section 8 unit fails an SLHA inspection?

The landlord gets notified of specific deficiencies and a correction deadline, typically 24 hours for emergency items (like no heat or a gas leak) and up to 30 days for routine items. The voucher holder can't move in or stay until it passes. If the landlord misses the deadline, the applicant may have to find another unit. The agency won't pay for a unit that hasn't passed HQS inspection.

Can St. Louis landlords legally refuse Section 8 vouchers?

In most of Missouri, yes. Missouri has no statewide source-of-income anti-discrimination law as of 2024, so landlords in most St. Louis jurisdictions can decline to rent to voucher holders. A few municipalities have local ordinances that may offer some protection, but coverage is limited. Federal fair housing law still bars discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability.

How do I port my Section 8 voucher from another city to St. Louis?

Contact your current issuing housing authority and tell them you want to port to St. Louis. They'll contact SLHA or HASL depending on whether you're moving to the city or county. The receiving agency will either absorb your voucher (using its own payment standards) or bill your original agency. Give yourself 30 to 60 days for paperwork. Your voucher's search deadline keeps running, so start early and ask your issuing PHA for an extension if needed.

What is the Housing Authority of St. Louis County (HASL) and how is it different from SLHA?

HASL serves St. Louis County, the large suburban county surrounding the independent City of St. Louis. SLHA serves the city itself. They have separate waitlists, separate payment standards, separate public housing stock, and separate staff. Income limits use the same metro area AMI, but payment standards and property availability differ. Not sure which one covers your address? A quick check of your zip code against the city boundary clears it up.

Does St. Louis have special Section 8 preferences for veterans or homeless households?

Yes. Both SLHA and HASL offer admission preferences that move certain applicants up the waitlist, including veterans, households experiencing homelessness or in transitional housing, victims of domestic violence, and households displaced by government action. HUD also requires 75% of new vouchers nationally to go to households at or below 30% of AMI. Check each agency's Administrative Plan for the current preference categories, since these can change.

Can a Section 8 voucher holder in St. Louis buy a home using their voucher?

Yes, through SLHA's HCV Homeownership Program. Eligible participants can apply their monthly subsidy toward a mortgage payment instead of rent. Requirements typically include being a current voucher holder in good standing, meeting minimum income and employment thresholds (exemptions for elderly or disabled households), completing a homebuyer counseling course, and finding an eligible home that passes inspection. Contact SLHA directly for current program availability and eligibility criteria.

What is the Family Self-Sufficiency program at SLHA?

FSS is a voluntary program for voucher holders. You set goals with a case manager (usually around employment, education, or savings), sign a 5-year contract, and the rent increase that would otherwise come from income gains goes into an escrow account in your name. Complete the program and the escrow gets paid out to you. HUD funds FSS coordinators at PHAs nationally under 24 CFR Part 984. It's one of the best financial tools a voucher holder can reach.

How does St. Louis Section 8 handle utility allowances?

If a voucher holder pays utilities directly (rather than the landlord covering them in rent), SLHA or HASL deducts a utility allowance from the tenant's share. The allowance reflects average utility costs by unit size and fuel type. The agency sets it and updates it periodically. If the utility allowance exceeds the tenant's share of rent, the agency may issue a utility reimbursement check directly to the tenant. Ask the agency for its current utility allowance schedule.

What is the Section 8 income limit for a family of four in St. Louis?

For FY2024, the Very Low Income limit (50% AMI) for a 4-person household in the St. Louis metro area is roughly $52,550. To get priority under HUD's 75% targeting rule, income needs to sit at or below the Extremely Low Income limit, about $31,550 for a family of four. HUD updates these figures every year; confirm current limits at the HUD income limits tool on huduser.gov.

Can a St. Louis Section 8 tenant be evicted while receiving a voucher?

Yes, but the process has extra steps. A landlord has to follow Missouri's standard court eviction procedures. They also have to notify the housing authority, since the HAP contract is involved. The agency won't block eviction for legitimate lease violations, but it needs to be notified and can terminate assistance if the tenant broke program rules. Tenants facing eviction should request an informal hearing with the agency and seek help from Missouri Legal Services.

Sources

1. Housing Authority of St. Louis County (HASL), official agency website: HASL is a separate agency covering St. Louis County with its own HCV waitlist, payment standards, and public housing inventory
2. HUD, 24 CFR Part 982 - Section 8 Tenant-Based Assistance: Housing Choice Voucher Program: Regulations governing HCV eligibility, payment standards (90-110% of FMR without special approval), HQS inspection standards (24 CFR 982.401), portability (24 CFR 982.353), 75% targeting rule, and tenant rights including informal hearings
3. HUD, 24 CFR Part 984 - Section 8 and Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency Program: FSS program regulation; escrow account accrues as participant income rises; funds disbursed upon successful completion of 5-year contract
4. HUD User, FY2024 Income Limits Documentation System: HUD publishes annual income limits by metro area and household size; St. Louis metro 4-person Very Low Income limit approximately $52,550 for FY2024
5. HUD User, FY2024 Fair Market Rents: HUD publishes annual FMRs for the St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area by bedroom size; FY2024 2-BR FMR approximately $1,148
6. HUD, Housing Choice Voucher Landlord Resources: HUD publishes HQS inspection checklist and landlord guidance for Section 8 units covering 13 major inspection categories
7. National Housing Law Project, Source of Income Discrimination and the Fair Housing Act: Missouri does not have a statewide source-of-income protection law; landlords in most Missouri jurisdictions can decline voucher holders
8. Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 535, Landlord-Tenant Actions: Missouri security deposit cap at two months' rent, 30-day return requirement; 24-hour notice for non-emergency entry
9. HUD, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity: Tenants can file housing discrimination complaints with HUD's FHEO office
10. Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC), official state agency: MHDC administers Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties statewide, typically affordable at 50% or 60% of AMI, each with its own waitlist
11. HUD, Housing Choice Voucher Landlord Resources: Landlord process for Section 8: RFTA submission, rent reasonableness check, HQS inspection, HAP contract execution, and monthly payment mechanics