Low Income Apartments Denver: DHA Housing, Vouchers, Tax Credit Rentals, and the City Portal

Who runs affordable housing in Denver

Denver has several housing players, and none of them share a waiting list. Signing up with one does not put you on another, so most renters apply to several at once.

Denver Housing Authority

The Denver Housing Authority is the city’s public housing agency. It owns and manages subsidized communities, runs the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program, places Project Based Vouchers in partner buildings, and builds mixed-income housing in neighborhoods such as Sun Valley. Its central office is at 1035 Osage St. and is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The voucher walk-in office is at 1401 Mariposa St., Tuesday through Friday. Phone numbers from DHA’s contact page: 720-932-3020 for housing applications, 720-932-3168 for the voucher program.

Denver Department of Housing Stability (HOST)

HOST is the city department that funds affordable housing and rent help. It does not rent apartments itself. Instead, it lends money to builders who agree to keep some units below market for a set number of years, and it runs the online portal described below. HOST’s main line is 720-913-1534.

Colorado Housing and Finance Authority and the Division of Housing

The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) awards Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, the main funding behind new affordable buildings in the state, and publishes the income and rent limits those properties must follow. The Colorado Division of Housing, part of the Department of Local Affairs, runs state rental assistance, including the Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance program (CERA).

Neighboring housing authorities

Aurora, Lakewood, Englewood, Arapahoe County, Jefferson County, Adams County, and Boulder County have their own agencies and lists. If you can live anywhere in the metro, HUD’s resource locator shows every agency near an address.

Low income apartments Denver offers, by type

“Low income” covers several different programs. The table shows how they compare in Denver.

The difference between income-based and fixed rent matters. In a DHA unit or with a voucher, your rent drops if your income falls. In a tax credit apartment, rent stays the same even if your hours get cut, and some properties expect income of about two to three times the rent. For how these programs work nationally, see our guide to low income apartments.

DHA subsidized housing in practice

DHA explains that when its subsidized programs open for applications, it runs public notices in four local papers in English and Spanish: the Denver Post, El Semanario, Denver Weekly, and La Voz. You can submit an interest card for each of its three subsidized waiting lists. When your name comes up, DHA mails a letter asking you to pick up a packet, which it says may take 6 to 12 months. After an interview, DHA runs a credit and criminal background check and places approved families on a list by bedroom size. DHA gives a preference to families who are working, receiving disability, or elderly, and applicants get two unit offers; turning down both cancels the application.

Open interest lists

When we checked, DHA’s home page listed open interest lists at Flo Senior Apartments, Sol Apartments and Townhomes, and Joli Apartments and Townhomes. These change often, so check the site for the current set.

Income limits for Denver programs

Every program uses a share of area median income (AMI) for the Denver metro, set yearly by HUD. Voucher eligibility at DHA is capped at 50% of AMI. These are DHA’s posted limits as of April 1, 2026:

Other programs use other cutoffs. Many tax credit units are set at 30%, 50%, 60%, or 80% of AMI, and a single building can mix several levels. City-funded units follow the covenant on that property, and HOST notes that you must stay income-eligible each year to renew your lease. Count income from every adult in the household, including wages, Social Security, SSI, child support, and unemployment. New limits usually come out each spring, so recheck the table on the agency’s site before you apply.

Is the Denver Section 8 list open?

No. DHA’s Housing Choice Voucher page says the 2027 lottery closed at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, September 18, 2026. Entering a lottery only gives you a chance to be drawn if vouchers become available.

The bigger issue is funding. DHA says it did not select any names from its 2025 or 2026 lotteries because of limited federal funding, and that it may not be able to draw from the 2027 lottery either. In plain terms, a voucher from Denver is unlikely in the near term. If you entered, keep your phone, email, and mailing address current with DHA so it can reach you if that changes. Results are posted on DHA’s lottery results page.

Two other routes can still lead to voucher-level rent. First, Project Based Voucher apartments attach the subsidy to the unit, and those buildings often keep their own lists. Second, special-purpose vouchers, such as HUD-VASH for veterans, come through referrals from partner agencies rather than the lottery. Ask DHA or a housing counselor whether you might fit one of these.

The city’s Affordable Housing Portal

In June 2026, HOST launched the Affordable Housing Portal, an online listing of income-restricted rental and for-sale homes in Denver. It is tied to the city’s Affordable Housing Prioritization Program, which Denver City Council approved in 2022.

According to HOST’s prioritization program page:

• At least 30% of the income-restricted units in covered projects must be offered first to prioritized households.
• Prioritized applicants get first consideration during an initial 14-day marketing period for each unit.
• You may qualify if someone in your household was displaced from a Denver home after 2000, if your Denver household is at risk of displacement, or if a direct family member was displaced from Denver between 1939 and 2000.
• There is no cost to apply, and you do not have to live in Denver now.
• About 46 prioritized units were expected in 2026, with the first ones projected for September.

To apply, choose “Priority Sign up” on the portal. The form asks about displacement and requests documents such as an eviction notice, lease, or mortgage statement. There is no paper form, but HOST staff can help with a computer. Priority status does not guarantee a home; you still have to income-qualify and pass the property’s screening. Questions go to HOSTPrioritization@denvergov.org. The portal also lists non-prioritized affordable units, so it is worth checking even if you do not qualify for priority.

Finding openings across the metro

Because supply is tight, the renters who find units fastest check several sources each week.

1. DHA property lists. Look for open interest lists and site-based waiting lists on denverhousing.org.
2. HOST’s Find a Rental page. The city’s Find a Rental page explains city-funded rentals and lists housing counseling agencies that can refer you to units, including Brothers Redevelopment (303-202-6340), Colorado Housing Assistance Corp. (303-572-9445), Del Norte Neighborhood Development (303-477-4774), NEWSED Community Development (303-534-8342), and Northeast Denver Housing Center (303-377-3334).
3. ColoradoHousingSearch.com. The free statewide Colorado Housing Search lists affordable rentals and is especially useful if you already hold a voucher.
4. Tax credit leasing offices. Call properties directly and ask, “Do you have income-restricted units, what AMI levels, and is your waiting list open?” CHFA’s rental housing page explains the program.
5. Colorado Housing Connects. This free helpline (1-844-926-6632) at coloradohousingconnects.org answers renter questions and points people to resources.

Keep a simple log: property name, date you applied, list status, and the date to follow up. Lists often purge names that do not respond to an update letter.

Colorado renter protections

Colorado has strengthened tenant law in recent years. These are the points renters ask about most. They are general information, not legal advice.

• Notice for unpaid rent. Under HB19-1118, most residential landlords must give 10 days’ notice before filing an eviction for nonpayment (5 days for certain small single-family landlords).
• Late fees. SB21-173 bars late fees until rent is at least 7 calendar days late and caps the fee at the greater of $50 or 5% of the past-due rent. A landlord cannot evict solely for unpaid late fees.
• Rent increases. HB21-1121 limits rent increases to once in a 12-month period and requires 60 days’ notice for tenancies without a written lease.
• Cause for eviction. HB24-1098 generally bars evicting a residential tenant without a listed cause, with some exceptions.
• Vouchers and income source. HB20-1332 made source-of-income discrimination illegal, so most landlords cannot turn you away because you pay with a voucher or benefits. Very small landlords are exempt.

Denver also funds free eviction legal help for households at or below 80% of AMI. HOST’s Eviction Help page lists the providers. Get help as soon as you receive a notice or court papers, not on the hearing day.

Rent help while you wait

A waiting list can take years, so protect the home you have. Colorado’s CERA program helps income-eligible renters facing eviction through a random selection process; our Colorado rent relief program guide covers the rules and the next window. Denver residents can also ask HOST about the city’s Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance program, and 2-1-1 Colorado keeps a current list of charity rent funds. Our Denver rent assistance page lists more local options.

If your utility bills are part of the squeeze, Colorado’s energy assistance program, LEAP, opens each November. Lowering one bill can free up money for rent.

Papers Denver programs ask for

HOST says income-restricted rentals in Denver typically ask for a driver’s license or other ID, your two most recent months of pay stubs (or proof of retirement or benefit income), your two most recent months of bank statements, last year’s federal tax return, and a signed application. DHA will review documents at your interview, after the packet stage. Have these ready before a unit opens so you can respond within the deadline. Our documents checklist covers the general list.

A practical plan, step by step

1. Figure out your household income and compare it with DHA’s 50% AMI table and the AMI levels of nearby tax credit buildings.
2. Submit DHA interest cards for any open subsidized, site-based, or property lists.
3. Check the HOST portal and apply for priority status if you or your family were displaced or are at risk.
4. Call tax credit properties in neighborhoods you can live in and ask about open lists.
5. Apply in nearby cities such as Aurora or Lakewood if you are flexible on location.
6. Keep your contact details current with every agency and answer every update letter.
7. Get rent or legal help early if you fall behind while you wait.

Related guides

• Low income apartments Phoenix
• Housing Choice Voucher program
• Low income housing with no waiting list
• Low income senior housing

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Waiting lists, income limits, and rules are set by each agency and change often. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with the Denver Housing Authority, the City and County of Denver, the State of Colorado, or any government agency.