HUD housing contact number: how to reach HUD and your local PHA

Last updated 2026-07-10

What is the main HUD housing phone number?

HUD's most-used public number is 1-800-569-4287. That line connects you to the Housing Counseling Hotline, which matches you to a HUD-approved counseling agency near you. Counselors on that referral network help with rental assistance, foreclosure prevention, and general housing questions. ^[1]

For general HUD information, dial 1-800-955-2232. That line handles broader inquiries: complaints, program information, and referrals. TTY/TDD users who are deaf or hard of hearing dial 1-800-877-8339, which routes through the Federal Relay Service. ^[2]

HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity runs its own line: 1-800-669-9777 (TTY: 1-800-927-9275). If you think a landlord or housing authority discriminated against you, that is the number, not the general hotline. ^[3]

Here's the thing to understand right away. HUD does not run the Housing Choice Voucher program day to day. It funds and regulates the program, but your local housing authority takes applications, issues vouchers, and handles inspections. Call HUD's 800 number about a stalled inspection or a missing payment and you'll get referred right back to your PHA.

Which HUD number should you call for Section 8 questions?

For anything to do with Section 8, start with your local Public Housing Authority, not HUD. Your PHA controls the waitlist, sets local payment standards, assigns inspectors, and cuts the housing assistance payment to your landlord. HUD cannot override a PHA decision over the phone. ^[4]

That said, here are the situations where a HUD number actually helps:

• You want to find a HUD-approved housing counselor: call 1-800-569-4287.
• You want to file a fair housing complaint: call 1-800-669-9777.
• You want to report fraud, waste, or abuse in a HUD program: call the HUD OIG Hotline at 1-800-347-3735.
• You got a disconnect notice and need emergency rental assistance: call 1-800-569-4287 to find a local counseling agency that can triage options.
• You can't find your local PHA's contact info: HUD's PHA locator at hud.gov finds it by zip code or city. ^[5]

Looking at HUD housing more broadly, including project-based Section 8 properties or public housing? The PHA or the property management company is still your first call. HUD's national lines are intake and referral points, not case managers.

How do you find your local housing authority's phone number?

HUD keeps a searchable directory of every Public Housing Authority in the country at hud.gov. Go to hud.gov and use the PHA contact search under the Office of Public and Indian Housing section, or use the housing counseling agency finder if that's what you need. ^[5]

You can search by state. The directory returns the PHA's name, mailing address, phone number, and website when one exists. Most large city PHAs (New York City Housing Authority, Los Angeles County Housing Authority, Chicago Housing Authority) also turn up in a basic web search.

A few tips from working with this system:

1. Smaller counties sometimes list only a mailing address and no phone line. Call HUD at 1-800-955-2232 and ask for the regional field office covering your area. Regional offices often have direct contacts for smaller PHAs. 2. If you're hunting for open Section 8 waiting lists, the PHA's own website or a call to their office is the only reliable source. HUD does not maintain a real-time national waitlist database. 3. Some PHAs contract out voucher administration to a regional entity. If you get referred to an organization other than the city or county authority you expected, that's normal.

Once your PHA answers, ask for the Housing Choice Voucher department by name. Large PHAs run separate departments for public housing, vouchers, admissions, and inspections. You can burn twenty minutes in the wrong queue.

What are HUD's regional office phone numbers?

HUD runs 10 regional offices, plus field offices in major cities. Regional offices handle appeals, oversight of PHAs, and issues that need federal-level attention. They also cover Fair Housing enforcement at the regional level. ^[6]

Here's a reference table for HUD's regional offices and their main numbers as published by HUD:

Region	States Covered	Main Phone
Region 1 (Boston)	CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT	(617) 994-8200
Region 2 (New York)	NJ, NY	(212) 264-8000
Region 3 (Philadelphia)	DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV	(215) 656-0600
Region 4 (Atlanta)	AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN	(404) 331-5136
Region 5 (Chicago)	IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI	(312) 353-5680
Region 6 (Fort Worth)	AR, LA, NM, OK, TX	(817) 978-5965
Region 7 (Kansas City)	IA, KS, MO, NE	(913) 551-5462
Region 8 (Denver)	CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY	(303) 672-5440
Region 9 (San Francisco)	AZ, CA, HI, NV, Pacific Islands	(415) 489-6400
Region 10 (Seattle)	AK, ID, OR, WA	(206) 220-5300

HUD publishes regional office numbers at hud.gov and updates them periodically. Verify the current number before calling, since restructuring changes direct lines. ^[6]

For most tenant and landlord questions about the housing section 8 program, the regional office sits one step above the PHA. You'd contact it after you've filed a formal complaint with the PHA and gotten nowhere.

What can you actually get done by calling HUD directly?

People call HUD expecting a case manager. What they get is a referral desk. That's not a knock on HUD. It's how the program is built under 24 CFR Part 982, which puts day-to-day voucher administration with the PHA, not the federal agency. ^[4]

Here's what each HUD contact point can actually do for you:

1-800-569-4287 (Housing Counseling Hotline) This line refers you to a HUD-approved counseling agency in your area. Those agencies explain your rights, help with rental assistance applications, and sometimes intervene directly with landlords or PHAs. The referral is free. Whether the agency charges for counseling depends on the agency and your income. ^[1]

1-800-669-9777 (Fair Housing) This line takes intake on fair housing complaints. If a landlord refused you because you have a voucher (in places where source-of-income discrimination is illegal), or because of race, disability, familial status, religion, national origin, or sex, this is where the formal complaint starts. HUD's Office of Fair Housing opened about 8,200 complaints in fiscal year 2022. ^[3]

1-800-347-3735 (OIG Hotline) This is for reporting fraud: a landlord collecting rent above the approved amount, a PHA employee taking bribes, someone falsifying income on a voucher application. Reports can be anonymous. ^[12]

1-800-955-2232 (General Information) Broad inquiries, referrals, program information. This line cannot pull up your individual case.

One thing none of these numbers can do: check your waitlist position, speed up an inspection, or tell a PHA to issue your voucher faster. For those, you need your PHA directly.

How do you contact HUD online instead of by phone?

HUD's online tools have gotten more useful. The main portal is hud.gov, and a few specific tools are worth knowing.

The HUD Resource Locator at resources.hud.gov searches for PHAs, housing counseling agencies, multifamily properties, and field offices by location. It's more precise than a phone referral when you need a specific local contact. ^[7]

For fair housing complaints, HUD runs an online intake system through its FHEO office. You can file, track, and respond to a complaint without calling anyone. Find it at hud.gov under Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. ^[3]

Want to check whether a specific HUD-assisted property is legitimately in the program? HUD's Multifamily Housing property database is public. That matters for tenants trying to confirm whether a landlord claiming to accept vouchers is actually in a HUD program.

Email is slower and less reliable than phone for anything urgent. HUD's general contact email routes to a triage team that usually responds in 5 to 10 business days. Facing an eviction or a housing emergency? Don't wait on email. Call 1-800-569-4287 and ask for an emergency referral to a local counseling agency that can move faster.

What's the HUD number for reporting housing discrimination?

Housing discrimination complaints go to HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at 1-800-669-9777. TTY users call 1-800-927-9275. You can also file online through the FHEO complaint portal at hud.gov. ^[3]

The Fair Housing Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq., bars discrimination in the sale or rental of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. HUD enforces the Act, investigates complaints, attempts conciliation, and refers cases for administrative hearings or to the Department of Justice. ^[8]

A common situation for voucher holders: a landlord refuses to rent to someone specifically because they have a Section 8 voucher. Whether that's illegal depends on your state and city. Federal fair housing law does not list source of income as a protected class. Roughly 20 states and dozens of cities have passed source-of-income protections, though. If you're in one of those places, refusing a voucher can be a fair housing violation, and 1-800-669-9777 is still the starting point even for cases that end up with a state agency. ^[9]

HUD reports that disability-related complaints are by far the most common category, around 55% of all complaints filed. Race is second at roughly 33%. Source-of-income complaints, which HUD doesn't track as a federal protected class, surface through state referrals. ^[3]

What HUD number do landlords call for program questions?

Landlords who want to join the housing choice voucher program call their local PHA first, not HUD. The PHA approves your unit, negotiates the rent, schedules inspections under HUD's Housing Quality Standards (24 CFR Part 982, Subpart I), and sends your housing assistance payment. ^[4]

HUD's direct lines help landlords in these cases:

• You want to report a PHA that's slow-walking inspections or acting improperly: regional office (see table above) or HUD's PIH customer service.
• You want information on Landlord Incentive programs some PHAs run (signing bonuses, damage mitigation funds): ask your PHA first, and if they don't have one, ask HUD's regional office whether PHAs in your area hold Moving to Work designation, which allows more flexible incentive programs.
• You have a fair housing question about what you can ask during tenant screening: 1-800-669-9777.
• You want to confirm a prospective tenant's voucher is legitimate: verify through the PHA that issued the voucher, not HUD.

For landlords just starting out, VoucherReady's landlord kit walks through the paperwork and inspection prep that gets you to a signed HAP contract without the usual delays. The PHA relationship is what makes the program work, and no national hotline substitutes for knowing your local contact.

Thinking about renting to voucher holders and want to see what's out there? Go section 8 and similar listing platforms let you post directly to voucher-holding tenants searching your area.

How do you reach HUD about a housing emergency or eviction?

HUD has no emergency hotline in the 911 sense. For urgent situations, the fastest route through the HUD system is 1-800-569-4287, asking specifically for an emergency referral. HUD-approved counseling agencies often have staff trained in emergency intervention, including connections to Emergency Rental Assistance funds run at the state and local level. ^[1]

If you're a voucher holder facing eviction, your rights under 24 CFR Part 982 matter. A PHA can terminate voucher assistance, but the process requires written notice and, in most cases, an informal hearing. If your PHA is threatening termination without following that process, call 1-800-955-2232 to report it and get your regional HUD office contact. ^[4]

For immediate shelter, dial 211 from most U.S. phones. That connects you to local social services including emergency shelter. HUD doesn't run 211, but the network is funded in part through HUD's Continuum of Care program.

State emergency rental assistance programs vary a lot. The National Low Income Housing Coalition keeps a tracker of state programs, which can be a faster path to cash than working HUD's lines during a crisis. No single HUD number routes to emergency cash payments. ^[9]

How does the HUD housing counseling referral actually work?

Call 1-800-569-4287 and a representative asks for your zip code or city, then matches you to HUD-approved counseling agencies nearby (or available by phone nationwide). You get a list of agencies, their numbers, and the services they offer. From there, you call the agency directly. ^[1]

HUD-approved agencies go through a certification process under 24 CFR Part 214 and must meet standards for staff training, financial solvency, and counseling quality. As of 2023, HUD had over 1,700 approved housing counseling agencies on its network. ^[10]

Services vary by agency. Some focus on homebuyer education. Others specialize in rental assistance, voucher navigation, or foreclosure prevention. When you call, ask straight up whether they have experience with Housing Choice Vouchers and PHA appeals, because not every counselor works the rental side regularly.

Housing counseling for renters in crisis is usually free or low-cost. Agencies receiving HUD grants cannot charge fees for foreclosure prevention counseling under the Dodd-Frank Act, and many extend that policy to rental counseling on their own. ^[10]

VoucherReady's tenant tools help you prep documents and understand payment standards before you meet with a counselor, so the conversation goes further. The counselor is your navigator. Your paperwork is the map.

If you're after low income senior housing specifically, some HUD-approved agencies specialize in options for older adults, including Section 202 Supportive Housing and voucher programs with elderly preferences.

What are HUD's hours and what happens if you can't get through?

HUD's toll-free lines run during standard federal business hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern for the Housing Counseling Hotline (1-800-569-4287). The Fair Housing line (1-800-669-9777) runs Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern. The general information line (1-800-955-2232) keeps similar weekday hours. ^[2]

Wait times run long around the first of the month or after major housing announcements. If you can't get through by phone:

• Use the HUD Resource Locator at resources.hud.gov to find counseling agencies and call them directly, skipping the referral call.
• File a fair housing complaint online instead of holding.
• Email your local HUD field office. Field office contacts sit on HUD's regional office pages.

For PHA-specific issues, calling mid-morning on a Tuesday or Wednesday tends to beat Monday mornings and end-of-month dates. That's anecdotal, but it tracks with how most government phone systems behave.

Outside the U.S. and need to reach HUD? International callers use the website contact form, though responses run slower. HUD's programs are U.S.-based, and the international caller question comes up mainly for property owners abroad or former residents asking about past assistance.

Why does calling HUD sometimes feel like hitting a wall?

It's a fair frustration. HUD administers more than 90 programs on a budget of roughly $71 billion a year (FY2024 enacted), but its public phone infrastructure is built for intake and referral, not case resolution. ^[11] HUD staff cannot see individual case files held by the 3,900-plus PHAs across the country.

Think of it this way. HUD is the franchisor. PHAs are the franchisees. HUD sets the rules (published in 24 CFR Parts 5, 982, 983, and elsewhere), provides the money, and oversees compliance. But a HUD call center agent in Washington can't pull up your application at the Houston Housing Authority any more than McDonald's corporate can find your specific order at a local store.

That structure is on purpose. The voucher program is designed so local PHAs respond to local housing markets. Payment standards, unit approval processes, and some eligibility preferences differ by PHA. Centralizing at HUD would kill that flexibility.

So the best use of HUD's numbers is narrow: find the right local contact, file a formal complaint, or get a counseling referral. Don't expect HUD to speed up your voucher or overrule your PHA on a unit. The path for that is a formal grievance with your PHA first, then an appeal to HUD's regional office if the PHA doesn't respond properly.

For a closer look at how the rental assistance system is built and who controls what, our explainer on the housing choice voucher program maps the whole chain.

Frequently asked questions

What is HUD's main phone number for housing help?

HUD's main housing help number is 1-800-569-4287, the Housing Counseling Hotline, which refers you to local counseling agencies. For general information, call 1-800-955-2232. For fair housing discrimination complaints, call 1-800-669-9777. TTY users call 1-800-877-8339 for any HUD line via the Federal Relay Service.

Can I call HUD directly about my Section 8 voucher application?

HUD cannot look up your individual voucher application. The Housing Choice Voucher program is run by your local Public Housing Authority, not HUD. HUD funds and oversees the program under 24 CFR Part 982, but your PHA holds your file. Call your PHA's Housing Choice Voucher department directly. Use HUD's PHA locator at hud.gov to find the number.

What is the HUD phone number for reporting discrimination?

Call HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at 1-800-669-9777 (TTY: 1-800-927-9275) to report housing discrimination. You can also file online through HUD's FHEO portal. The Fair Housing Act covers discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and familial status. Source-of-income protection varies by state and city, not federal law.

How do I find my local housing authority's phone number?

Use HUD's PHA contact directory at hud.gov, searchable by state, city, or zip code. Or call HUD's general information line at 1-800-955-2232 and ask for a referral to your local PHA. Large cities usually have their own housing authority website. If no phone number is listed, your HUD regional office can connect you.

Is HUD's 1-800-569-4287 number free to call?

Yes, 1-800-569-4287 is toll-free. The Housing Counseling Hotline is free to use, and the referral to a local counseling agency is free too. Whether the agency charges for its actual counseling depends on the agency and the service, though most rental and foreclosure counseling is free or low-cost for income-qualifying households.

What happens if I call HUD about a landlord who won't pass inspection?

HUD's national lines cannot intervene in a local inspection. The inspection process is run by your PHA under HUD's Housing Quality Standards (24 CFR Part 982, Subpart I). If your PHA inspector is unresponsive, contact your PHA's voucher supervisor first. If the PHA still won't respond, escalate to your HUD regional field office. HUD can audit PHA performance but cannot overrule individual inspection results by phone.

What is the HUD fraud hotline number?

HUD's Office of Inspector General fraud hotline is 1-800-347-3735. You can report fraud, waste, and abuse in any HUD program, including Section 8 fraud, falsified income documents, landlords charging rent above the approved amount, or PHA employee misconduct. Reports can be anonymous. You can also submit a report online at the HUD OIG website.

Does HUD have a live chat or online contact option?

HUD's website at hud.gov has a general contact form, but no live chat. Email replies can take 5 to 10 business days. For faster online action, use the HUD Resource Locator at resources.hud.gov to find a local counseling agency, or file a fair housing complaint online through HUD's FHEO portal. Phone contact is faster for anything urgent.

How do I reach HUD if I'm deaf or hard of hearing?

HUD routes TTY calls through the Federal Relay Service. Dial 1-800-877-8339 from a TTY device to reach any HUD line. For the Fair Housing office, the direct TTY line is 1-800-927-9275. HUD's online contact form and the FHEO online complaint system are also fully accessible and don't require phone use.

Can a landlord call HUD to verify a tenant's voucher?

No. HUD does not keep individual voucher records that landlords can access. To verify a voucher, contact the specific PHA that issued it. The voucher paperwork the tenant provides includes the issuing PHA's contact info. The PHA can confirm the voucher is valid and the household size it covers. HUD's national lines cannot confirm or deny individual voucher status.

What is the HUD phone number for senior housing programs?

There's no separate HUD number just for senior housing. For Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly or voucher programs with elderly preferences, call HUD's general information line at 1-800-955-2232 and ask to be directed to your regional Multifamily Housing office. Your local PHA can also tell you whether they keep an elderly or disabled preference on their waiting list.

How long does it take to get help when you call HUD's housing line?

Wait times vary. The Housing Counseling Hotline (1-800-569-4287) is usually answered within a few minutes, and the referral takes under 10 minutes once connected. Getting an actual appointment with a local counseling agency can take a few days to two weeks, depending on capacity. For anything time-sensitive, ask for an emergency referral when you call.

Does calling HUD help if my PHA denied my application?

Calling HUD's national line won't reverse a PHA denial. Your first step is requesting an informal hearing with the PHA, which is your right under 24 CFR Part 982. If the PHA denies you a hearing or runs it improperly, then escalating to HUD's regional field office makes sense. HUD can review whether the PHA followed its own administrative plan and federal regulations.

What's the best HUD number for finding rental assistance programs?

Call 1-800-569-4287. The Housing Counseling Hotline refers you to a HUD-approved agency that can identify local rental assistance programs, including Emergency Rental Assistance funds, state programs, and PHA-based options. A local counselor knows which programs have current funding, which HUD's national office cannot tell you. This is the most useful call you can make when you need rental help fast.

Sources

1. HUD.gov, Housing Counseling Program: HUD's Housing Counseling Hotline 1-800-569-4287 connects callers to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies for rental assistance and related services
2. HUD.gov, Contact HUD: HUD general information line 1-800-955-2232 and TTY line 1-800-877-8339 via Federal Relay Service
3. HUD.gov, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity: HUD FHEO complaint line 1-800-669-9777; TTY 1-800-927-9275; online complaint portal available; approximately 8,200 complaints opened in FY2022; disability complaints about 55% and race about 33% of filings
4. Code of Federal Regulations, 24 CFR Part 982: Day-to-day administration of the Housing Choice Voucher program, including eligibility, inspections, hearings, and payments, is placed with the Public Housing Authority under 24 CFR Part 982
5. HUD.gov, Public and Indian Housing PHA Contact Information: HUD maintains a searchable directory of all Public Housing Authorities by state, city, and zip code
6. HUD.gov, Regional and Field Offices: HUD operates 10 regional offices with published main phone numbers covering all U.S. states and territories
7. HUD Resource Locator: HUD's Resource Locator tool allows users to search for PHAs, housing counseling agencies, and field offices by location
8. U.S. Code, Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.: The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability
9. National Low Income Housing Coalition: Roughly 20 states and dozens of cities have enacted source-of-income protections making it illegal to refuse a voucher holder solely because of their voucher; NLIHC tracks state emergency rental assistance programs
10. Code of Federal Regulations, 24 CFR Part 214, Housing Counseling Program: HUD-approved housing counseling agencies must meet standards under 24 CFR Part 214; as of 2023, over 1,700 agencies are approved; fees for foreclosure counseling are restricted under Dodd-Frank
11. HUD, FY2024 Budget: HUD's FY2024 enacted budget is approximately $71 billion, administered across more than 90 programs
12. HUD Office of Inspector General, Hotline: HUD OIG hotline 1-800-347-3735 accepts anonymous reports of fraud, waste, and abuse in HUD programs including Section 8