HUD's public housing agency directory: how to find and use it

Last updated 2026-07-09

What is HUD's public housing agency directory?

HUD's PHA Contact Information page is the federal roster of every Public Housing Agency allowed to operate in the United States. As of 2024 it holds records for more than 3,300 agencies across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories ^[1]. Each record carries the agency's legal name, mailing address, phone number, executive director, and the specific HUD programs it runs.

Think of it as the official list of every entity that can hand you a housing choice voucher or put you in a public housing unit. It is not a waitlist tool and it shows no real-time waitlist status, but it is the authoritative place to start when you need to know which agency covers your area.

The directory lives at HUD.gov. You can search it by state, by county, and in some views by zip code. HUD updates it when agencies report changes, and the pace of those updates varies a lot. If a phone number rings dead, go back to the directory, grab the PHA code, and call HUD's national housing counseling line for a current contact.

Here is what the directory is not. It is not a rental listing site. It does not track open versus closed waitlists in real time. It does not show payment standards or fair market rents. Those numbers live in separate HUD databases.

How do I search the HUD PHA directory?

Start at HUD's PHA Contact Information page ^[1]. The page opens with a state dropdown. Pick your state and the table fills with every PHA there.

From there you filter by county. Some states have 200-plus agencies, and filtering by county cuts that to a list you can actually work through. The columns show the PHA code (a unique ID like TX001 for the Houston Housing Authority), the agency name, the city, the county, and a link to each agency's detail page.

The detail page is where the real information sits. It shows:

• Programs administered: Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8), Public Housing, Project-Based Section 8, or some mix
• Number of units or vouchers under management (sometimes; this field is not always filled in)
• Executive director name and contact email
• Agency website, when one is on file
• The PHA's fiscal year end date, which matters for landlords timing a HAP contract

If you are a landlord checking whether a voucher is legitimate, the PHA code on the voucher document should match a real entry here. That is a quick sanity check.

If you are hunting for open Section 8 waiting lists, the directory will not tell you which lists are accepting applications today. You have to call or visit each PHA's website. What the directory gives you is the full contact set to start those calls.

One practical note. Some very small PHAs have merged or been folded into larger regional agencies. If a listing looks outdated, the footnotes on HUD's page sometimes mention a consolidation. If not, the HUD field office for that state can confirm.

How many public housing agencies are there in the US?

The number people usually cite is around 3,300 PHAs nationwide. It drifts a little as agencies consolidate, get deactivated, or join the Moving to Work demonstration ^[1][2]. HUD's own congressional budget justifications have used figures between 3,300 and 3,400 over the past several years.

Size varies enormously. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) manages over 177,000 public housing units by itself, which makes it the largest agency in the country ^[3]. At the other end, some rural PHAs run fewer than 50 vouchers. Most of the 3,300-plus are small: HUD's data consistently shows that a majority of PHAs run fewer than 250 vouchers.

That size gap matters for applicants. A big urban PHA like the Chicago Housing Authority or the Los Angeles County Development Authority may have a waitlist measured in years and tens of thousands of names. A rural PHA in the same state might open its list, fill it fast, and turn a much shorter wait. Searching the directory for every PHA in your state, more than the obvious big-city one, is worth the extra hour.

For landlords, small PHAs can sometimes move faster on inspections and HAP contract execution than big ones. Nobody has clean national data on that. The pattern shows up over and over in landlord forums and HUD listening sessions, but HUD does not publish agency-level processing times for the general public.

What programs does a PHA run, and how do I know which one to apply to?

Not every PHA runs every program. The detail page lists which HUD programs each agency administers. Here are the main ones you will see.

Program	What it is	Who to contact
Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)	Tenant-based rental subsidy; you find your own unit	The PHA in your target area
Public Housing	PHA-owned units rented at reduced rates	The PHA that owns the development
Project-Based Voucher (PBV)	Subsidy tied to a specific building, not portable	The PHA that administers the PBV contract
Moving to Work (MTW)	Flexible HCV/PH blend for designated agencies	That specific MTW agency
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)	HCV-like vouchers for homeless veterans	The PHA partnered with your local VA Medical Center

Want a portable Section 8 voucher? You want the HCV program. Looking at a specific building that already has a subsidy? It may have project-based vouchers, and you apply to that building's waitlist, not a general PHA list.

Applying to the wrong program is one of the most common mistakes first-time applicants make. The program field on the detail page saves you from it. Look before you call.

The housing section 8 program page here goes deeper on the split between tenant-based and project-based assistance if you want the fuller version.

How do I find a PHA near me if I don't know my county?

HUD's directory needs your state at minimum. If you are not sure which county you live in, type your address into any county-finder tool, or just search your city name plus "what county," then come back to the directory with the county in hand.

There is a faster path. HUD's housing counselor locator matches you to a HUD-approved counseling agency by zip code ^[4]. Those counselors can tell you which PHA to contact and often know current waitlist status in your area.

For the rental assistance seeker who just moved to a new state, the receiving PHA is the one that matters for porting. Your current PHA should be able to name it. If that conversation stalls, the HUD directory is your backup.

Watch for one thing. Some PHAs serve a jurisdiction that does not match county lines. A city PHA might only serve city residents while a county PHA serves everyone outside the city limits. Both appear in the directory under the same county. Read the agency description on the detail page, or call and ask straight out: do you take applications from residents of my specific city or neighborhood?

What is a PHA code and why does it matter?

Every PHA in the directory has a unique alphanumeric ID assigned by HUD, called a PHA code. It looks like TX001 (Houston Housing Authority) or IL002 (Chicago Housing Authority): the two-letter state abbreviation followed by a three-digit number ^[1].

For voucher holders, the PHA code shows up on your voucher document. If you are porting your voucher to a new area, the receiving PHA will ask for your issuing PHA's code. If you are checking a landlord's claim that they work with a specific agency, the code is the cleanest test.

For landlords, the PHA code is what HUD uses to process Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contracts and to route electronic payments in some markets. If a HAP payment is delayed, the code helps HUD trace it. Under 24 CFR Part 982, the HAP contract has to identify the administering PHA, and the PHA code is part of that identification ^[5].

Do not mix up the PHA code with the DUNS number or UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) that agencies use for federal grants. Those are different systems. The PHA code is HUD-specific.

Can landlords use the PHA directory to screen agencies before accepting vouchers?

Yes, and more landlords should. Before you sign a HAP contract with an agency you have never worked with, pulling their record from the directory takes about two minutes. You want to confirm the agency is active and not in receivership or under a corrective action plan.

HUD's Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) publishes a separate database of PHA assessment scores. An agency scoring below 60 on its management assessment may have payment delays or administrative backlogs ^[11]. That is a separate lookup from the directory, but the PHA code from the directory is how you search REAC's data.

The detail page also shows the agency's HUD field office. If you ever have a HAP dispute and the agency goes quiet, the field office is your escalation point. Write that contact down before you need it.

If you are new to the program and want the wider picture, including inspection timelines and payment mechanics, the housing authority article covers how agencies work from a landlord's side.

One honest caveat. The directory does not show whether an agency has a backlog on initial inspections right now. That is a call-first question. Ask directly: what is your average time from request to initial inspection this month? Get a number. If they say they do not know, that tells you something too.

How does the PHA directory connect to applying for Section 8?

The directory is step one, not the application. Once you find the right PHA, you go to that PHA's website or office to get on the waitlist. There is no single national Section 8 waitlist. Every PHA runs its own ^[2].

Most PHAs open their waitlists on their own schedule, sometimes for only a few days, then close again for months or years. The directory gives you the contact info to watch for a local opening. Sign up for the PHA's email list if they have one, check their website, or call the main line and ask how they announce openings.

The section 8 program overview walks through the full application process, eligibility rules, and what happens after you get a voucher.

If you already have a voucher and want to find available rentals, section 8 houses for rent is a practical next read.

When a waitlist opens, the PHA is required under 24 CFR 982.206 to publicize the opening in a way that reaches the eligible population in its jurisdiction, including people with disabilities and non-English speakers ^[5]. If you missed an opening and believe you were not properly notified, that regulation is the basis for a complaint to the HUD field office listed in the directory.

What's the difference between a PHA, a housing authority, and HUD itself?

HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) is the federal agency. It sets the rules, funds the programs, and oversees the whole system nationally. HUD does not take applications from tenants or sign leases. It does run a few programs directly for specific populations, like housing for the elderly under Section 202 ^[6], but for the main voucher program it works through PHAs.

A PHA, or Public Housing Agency, is a state or local entity that HUD authorizes to run housing programs in a defined area. Locally they usually go by "housing authority," like the Atlanta Housing Authority or the King County Housing Authority. PHA is HUD's generic label. "Housing authority" is what most agencies call themselves at home.

The practical upshot is simple. Want a voucher? You talk to a PHA, not to HUD. If the PHA does something wrong, HUD is the oversight body you escalate to.

For low income senior housing, some dedicated programs run through HUD directly under contracts with private nonprofits, skipping PHAs entirely. The directory does not cover those properties. They sit in HUD's multifamily housing database instead.

VoucherReady's housing authority page has a plain-language breakdown of this structure for readers who want a longer walk through how the three layers fit together.

Are there PHAs with special programs for veterans, seniors, or people with disabilities?

Yes. The program field on the detail page often flags specialized programs. The main ones to look for:

VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing): a joint HUD-VA program that pairs HCV vouchers with VA case management. As of fiscal year 2023, HUD and VA have allocated over 100,000 VASH vouchers nationally ^[7]. Not every PHA runs VASH. The ones that do are partnered with a VA Medical Center in their area, and the directory shows this under programs administered.

Enhanced Vouchers: sometimes listed on their own, these protect tenants in buildings that leave the project-based program. They are not a separate application. The local PHA that picks up the contract issues them.

MTW (Moving to Work): roughly 39 agencies currently hold MTW designation, which lets them run modified versions of the HCV and public housing programs ^[8]. In an MTW jurisdiction, income calculation, rent structure, and portability rules may differ from the standard 24 CFR Part 982 rules. The directory shows MTW status.

For seniors specifically, the low income senior housing article covers HUD's Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program, which sits outside the voucher system but comes up in the same conversation constantly.

Disability accommodations inside the HCV program fall under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Fair Housing Act. Every PHA, no matter its size, has to provide reasonable accommodations in the application and leasing process. The directory's contact info is how you reach the right PHA to make that request.

What should I do if a PHA in the directory appears to be inactive or unreachable?

It happens. Small rural PHAs lose staff, merge with neighbors, or get placed in receivership by HUD. The directory is not always current.

Step one: try the listed phone number and email. Give it two business days.

Step two: search the PHA's name online. Many keep websites that are fresher than the HUD entry. The site may announce a merger or list a new number.

Step three: contact the HUD field office for your state. HUD runs regional field offices in about a dozen cities, each covering a group of states ^[9]. They can tell you whether the PHA has been consolidated, replaced, or had its authority revoked.

Step four: if you are a voucher holder mid-port and your receiving PHA has gone dark, call your issuing PHA right away. Under 24 CFR 982.355, the receiving PHA works on specific timelines for accepting or rejecting a portability request, and your issuing PHA can step in if those are broken ^[5].

If HUD has placed the agency in receivership or under a troubled designation, HUD may be running it directly or through a third-party administrator. The field office will know.

To track down open waitlists across agencies, including ones that might beat a non-responsive PHA, check VoucherReady's waitlist tracker alongside the HUD directory. The directory tells you who exists. Real-time status means going to each agency.

How is the PHA directory different from other HUD housing databases?

HUD runs several parallel databases that people mix up with the PHA directory. Knowing which one answers which question saves a lot of frustration.

Database	What it covers	URL
PHA Contact Directory	Every authorized PHA, contact info, programs	hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/pha/contacts
Fair Market Rents (FMR)	Annual rent limits by metro area and unit size	huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html
Income Limits	Area Median Income thresholds by family size	huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il.html
REAC Assessment Scores	PHA management and physical condition ratings	hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/reac
Multifamily Housing Portfolio	Project-based Section 8 and Section 202 properties	hudmultifamily.com
Housing Counselor Locator	HUD-approved counseling agencies by zip code	hud.gov/findacounselor

For landlords researching payment standards, the FMR database has the numbers, not the PHA directory. Payment standards are set by each PHA within a range of the FMR under 24 CFR 982.503 ^[10], so you need both the FMR and a call to the specific PHA to pin down the actual payment standard in your market.

The hud housing overview covers the full landscape of HUD programs beyond PHAs and ties these databases together in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Is HUD's PHA directory free to use?

Yes, completely free. The PHA directory at HUD.gov is a public federal database with no login, fee, or registration. You can search by state, filter by county, and open every agency's detail page at no cost. HUD funds it as part of its public housing administration duties. If you see a site charging to "search HUD's PHA directory," it is not HUD's official resource.

Does the directory show which Section 8 waiting lists are currently open?

No. The directory shows contact information and programs administered, but it does not track real-time waitlist status. You have to contact each PHA directly or check its website to learn whether a list is open. Some states run statewide housing portals that pull waitlist status across multiple PHAs, which can save time compared to calling each agency one at a time.

Can I apply for a housing voucher directly through the HUD directory?

No. The directory is a lookup tool, not an application portal. Once you find the right PHA for your area, you go to that PHA's own website or office to apply. HUD does not process individual applications. Each PHA sets its own application process, eligibility preferences, and waitlist procedures within the rules HUD lays out in 24 CFR Part 982.

How often does HUD update the PHA directory?

HUD publishes no fixed update schedule for the directory. Agencies report changes to their HUD field office, and updates go in on a rolling basis. Phone numbers and executive director names can run months out of date. If a listing looks stale, call the main number first, cross-reference the agency's own website next, then contact the HUD regional field office if the agency stays unreachable.

What is a Moving to Work (MTW) PHA and how do I find one in the directory?

MTW PHAs hold a special HUD designation that lets them waive certain standard rules to test alternative program designs. About 39 agencies have MTW status as of 2024. In the HUD directory, their program list notes MTW. If you are in an MTW jurisdiction, income calculation, rent contribution rules, and portability rules may differ from the national standard, so read that agency's administrative plan carefully before you apply.

How do I find a PHA that accepts portability transfers?

All PHAs that run the Housing Choice Voucher program must accept portability billing from other PHAs under 24 CFR 982.355, with very limited exceptions. The directory's program list shows if a PHA runs HCV. Once you confirm that, your issuing PHA starts the port by contacting the receiving PHA directly. You do not have to arrange that contact yourself, though the directory entry helps if your PHA needs a nudge.

Can landlords look up a PHA's payment standard in the directory?

Not directly. The directory does not display payment standards. Each PHA sets its own between 90 and 110 percent of HUD's Fair Market Rent for the area under 24 CFR 982.503, and a PHA can get HUD approval to go up to 120 percent. For the current number, contact the specific PHA from the directory or check that PHA's administrative plan, which most agencies post on their website.

What should I do if I believe a PHA in the directory is discriminating against applicants?

File a Fair Housing complaint with HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity ^[12]. The PHA's contact information and HUD field office, both in the directory, help your complaint. You can also ask a HUD-approved housing counselor to help you prepare it. Complaints must generally be filed within one year of the discriminatory act.

Is there a difference between a housing authority and a public housing agency in the directory?

They are the same entity. PHA is HUD's generic federal term for any state or local agency authorized to run HUD housing programs. Most of those agencies call themselves a "housing authority" at home. The New York City Housing Authority, the Denver Housing Authority, and the Seattle Housing Authority all appear in the HUD directory as PHAs. The naming is local preference. The legal category is always PHA.

Can a PHA cover more than one county?

Yes. Regional and statewide PHAs often serve multiple counties. In some states a single state housing finance agency runs vouchers across every county not covered by a city or county PHA. These regional PHAs appear in the directory under each county they serve, or only under their headquarters county with a note about their service area. Always confirm jurisdiction by calling the agency directly.

How do I find a PHA that has vouchers specifically for people with disabilities?

Every PHA running the HCV program must provide reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Fair Housing Act. Some PHAs also hold dedicated vouchers for non-elderly persons with disabilities (NED vouchers) or set local preferences for people with disabilities. Search the directory for PHAs in your area, then call and ask specifically about disability preferences and NED vouchers.

What is the PHA's administrative plan and where do I find it?

Every HCV PHA is required by 24 CFR 982.54 to keep an administrative plan that governs local policy choices within HUD's rules. It covers local waitlist preferences, payment standards, and how informal hearings work. PHAs must make the plan available to the public, and most post it online. If it is not there, request a copy at the PHA office. The directory gives you the contact to start that request.

Does the HUD directory cover tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs)?

Some TDHEs appear in the HUD directory, particularly those that run HCV or Indian Housing Block Grant programs. HUD's Office of Public and Indian Housing oversees both. TDHEs operate under different statutory authority (NAHASDA, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act), and tribal housing programs have their own eligibility rules separate from the standard PHA framework.

Sources

1. HUD, PHA Contact Information directory: HUD maintains a searchable directory of all authorized Public Housing Agencies, searchable by state and county, with each PHA's programs, contact information, and PHA code
2. HUD, Housing Choice Voucher Program overview: There is no single national Section 8 waitlist; each of the more than 3,300 PHAs manages its own waitlist for the Housing Choice Voucher program
3. New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), About page: NYCHA manages over 177,000 public housing units, making it the largest public housing authority in the United States
4. HUD, Find a Housing Counselor: HUD's housing counselor locator lets users find HUD-approved housing counseling agencies by zip code
5. Code of Federal Regulations, 24 CFR Part 982, Section 8 Tenant-Based Assistance: 24 CFR Part 982 governs the Housing Choice Voucher program including HAP contract requirements, waitlist publicizing requirements (982.206), payment standard ranges (982.503), and portability procedures (982.355)
6. HUD, Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly: HUD's Section 202 program provides housing directly for elderly low-income individuals through contracts with nonprofits, operating separately from the PHA-administered voucher system
7. HUD, HUD-VASH program information: HUD and VA have allocated over 100,000 HUD-VASH vouchers nationally as of fiscal year 2023 to provide housing assistance for homeless veterans
8. HUD, Field Policy and Management local offices directory: HUD maintains regional field offices across the country; each covers a group of states and serves as the oversight and escalation point for PHA issues in their jurisdiction
9. HUD User, Fair Market Rents dataset: HUD publishes annual Fair Market Rents by metropolitan area and unit size; payment standards are set by each PHA between 90 and 110 percent of the applicable FMR under 24 CFR 982.503
10. HUD, Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC): HUD's REAC publishes management and physical condition assessment scores for PHAs; agencies scoring below 60 may have administrative backlogs affecting payment timelines
11. HUD, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity: Tenants who believe a PHA has discriminated against them can file a Fair Housing complaint with HUD's FHEO; complaints must generally be filed within one year of the discriminatory act