Texas Housing Choice Voucher Program: Local Agencies, Waitlists, and Rules

How the Texas housing choice voucher program works

The voucher program is a federal program paid for by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD does not take applications from the public. Instead, it sends money to local public housing agencies, and each agency runs its own waitlist, sets some local rules in its administrative plan, and signs contracts with landlords. In Texas, that means Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso, and many smaller cities and counties each have their own program and their own list.

Once you are pulled from a list and found eligible, the agency gives you a voucher. You then have a set time to find a rental that passes inspection and has a landlord willing to sign the program paperwork. The agency pays its share of the rent directly to the landlord, and you pay your share. If you want the full federal background on payment standards, inspections, and recertification, our national guide to the housing choice voucher program covers it. This page sticks to what is different in Texas.

Two points surprise many Texans. First, a voucher holder in a big metro area can often choose among several agencies, because the city, county, and nearby suburbs may each run separate programs. Second, agencies in Texas have been rebranding. The Houston Housing Authority now calls itself Housing Alliance HTX, and the San Antonio Housing Authority operates as Opportunity Home San Antonio. Old names still appear on many websites, so check that you are on the agency's real site before entering personal details.

Major Texas housing agencies and their waitlists

We checked the largest Texas agencies in early November 2026. Waitlist statuses change without much notice, so treat this table as a starting point and confirm on the agency's own site or by phone.

Dallas's open lottery

The Dallas Housing Authority says it assists more than 16,250 households through vouchers and lets people submit a preliminary application through an open lottery system at any time. When money for new vouchers becomes available, DHA randomly selects applicants and invites them to complete a full application. A preliminary application that is not selected expires after 18 months, and you can apply again. That makes Dallas one of the few large Texas programs where you can get in line today.

Houston's closed list

Houston's voucher waitlist has been closed for years. In June 2026, the agency opened a lottery for its public housing waitlists (a different program, where you live in an agency-owned property), and told local reporters that the voucher list remained closed. You can still apply for public housing through Housing Alliance HTX when its lists are open, and that is often a faster path to a lower rent.

San Antonio and Austin

Opportunity Home San Antonio lists its voucher waitlist as closed, with no reopening date. Its family public housing list has also been closed since May 27, 2025, but its elderly/disabled and 504 accessible public housing lists take applications. The Austin Housing Authority marks its voucher waitlist as closed and says that if no opening is posted on its website, it is not taking applications. When the list opens, applicants are chosen by lottery. Some of its property waitlists open separately, so check austinha.org or call 512-477-4488.

TDHCA vouchers for areas without a local agency

Large parts of rural Texas have no local housing authority with vouchers. In some of those places, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs runs the program itself. TDHCA has described its voucher service area as about 34 counties, and it publishes a list of the counties and cities covered. Its pre-application list was last opened in May 2022, when it picked 500 applicants by lottery, and TDHCA's Section 8 announcements page says the list is closed. In June 2024, TDHCA warned that social media posts claiming its voucher waitlist was open were false, and that it does not charge fees to apply. Its website blocks automated checks, so confirm the current service area and status by phone or on the site.

TDHCA also runs special voucher programs, including Project Access, which uses vouchers to help people with disabilities move out of nursing homes and other institutions into community housing. Project Access has its own list and referral rules. If you or a family member lives in an institution and wants to move out, ask the facility social worker or your local aging and disability resource center about it.

Income limits in Texas

Voucher income limits are set by HUD for each metro area and county, so they differ a lot across Texas. Limits in the Austin and Dallas areas are higher than in many rural counties, so the same income can qualify in one place and be over the limit in another. HUD posts the current figures on its income limits page; pick Texas, then your county.

Income is counted for everyone in the household, including wages, Social Security, SSI, child support, and unemployment benefits. Agencies also check criminal history under federal and local rules, past debts owed to a housing agency, and, for most adults, citizenship or eligible immigration status. Mixed-status families can still be helped, with the subsidy prorated.

How much rent you pay

Under federal rules, your share is generally the highest of 30% of your adjusted monthly income, 10% of your gross monthly income, or a minimum rent set by the agency (up to $50). Adjusted income subtracts allowances for dependents, elderly or disabled household members, and some child care and medical costs.

Each Texas agency sets a payment standard, which is the most it will count toward rent and utilities for a unit of your size. If you choose a home that costs more than the payment standard, you pay the difference. For a new lease, your total share cannot be more than 40% of your adjusted monthly income. In the Dallas area, HUD requires Small Area Fair Market Rents, which set payment standards by ZIP code, so vouchers may cover more in higher-rent neighborhoods and less in lower-rent ones. Ask your agency for its payment standard chart before you start looking.

Example: a parent with two children has $1,800 a month in adjusted income. Thirty percent is $540. If the unit's rent plus a utility allowance is within the payment standard, the family pays about $540 and the agency pays the rest. If the unit costs $100 over the standard, the family pays about $640, which is still under the 40% cap of $720.

Getting on a waitlist and staying there

Texas agencies use waitlists, lotteries, or a mix of both. When a list opens, it is often for only a few days, and thousands of people apply. These habits help:

• Apply to more than one agency. There is no rule against being on several lists. In the Houston area, for example, the city, Harris County, and nearby suburbs run separate programs.
• Watch for openings. Agencies announce openings on their websites, social media, and local news. Some, like Dallas, accept applications all the time.
• Ask about preferences. Many agencies give priority to people who are homeless, disabled, elderly, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, or local residents. Preferences are listed in each agency's administrative plan.
• Keep your contact details current. Agencies purge lists by mail or email. If you miss an update request, you can lose your spot. Houston required people on its voucher list to re-register in 2025 or be removed.
• Save your confirmation. Screenshot or print your application number and date.

Our guide on the fastest way to get Section 8 explains preferences and other options in more detail.

Can Texas landlords refuse a voucher?

Yes, in most cases. Federal fair housing law does not list "source of income" as a protected class, and Texas does not either. In 2015, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 267, now Section 250.007 of the Local Government Code. It bars Texas cities and counties from adopting or enforcing rules that stop landlords from refusing tenants because their rent is paid in part with federal housing assistance. The law followed an Austin ordinance that had required landlords to consider voucher holders.

There are limits to that law. It does not block local protections for military veterans who pay rent with a voucher, and it allows voluntary programs that reward landlords for accepting vouchers, such as incentives or density bonuses. Some properties also have their own duty to accept vouchers. Federal tax law says apartments built with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits cannot refuse a renter just because the renter has a voucher, so tax-credit properties are good places to start your search.

Landlords also cannot use a voucher policy as cover for discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability, which federal and Texas fair housing laws do protect. If you have a disability, you can ask a landlord or the housing agency for a reasonable accommodation, such as extra search time.

Moving within Texas or out of state

Vouchers are portable. After you lease up, you can usually move to any area in the U.S. with a voucher program, including from one Texas city to another, as long as you are not breaking your lease and are in good standing. You tell your current agency you want to move, and it sends your paperwork to the agency in the new area.

One Texas-specific tip: if neither you nor your spouse lived in an agency's area when you applied, that agency can require you to rent in its own area for the first 12 months before you move with the voucher. If you apply to Dallas while living in Fort Worth, for example, expect to live in the Dallas program's area for the first year unless the agency agrees otherwise. The new agency may also have a different payment standard and may rescreen your household.

Help while you wait

Waiting several years is common in Texas. While you wait:

• Apply for public housing and project-based Section 8 apartments, which have separate lists that sometimes move faster.
• Look at tax-credit apartments, which have rents set below market for people under certain incomes.
• Call 211 Texas for local rent, utility, and shelter help. 211 is free.
• Get legal help early if you receive an eviction notice. Our page on eviction assistance in Texas explains the court process, including changes for cases filed from January 1, 2026.
• Ask about emergency housing vouchers if you are homeless or fleeing violence. Our guide to emergency housing vouchers in Texas covers referrals through local homeless systems.

Applying in Texas, step by step

1. List every agency near you. Use USA.gov's Section 8 page or HUD's agency directory to find the city, county, and regional agencies serving the places you would live.
2. Check each one's status. Open, closed, or lottery. Write down the date you checked.
3. Apply online when a list opens. Have names, birth dates, Social Security numbers (if you have them), and income for everyone in your home.
4. Save the confirmation and set a reminder to update your contact information each year.
5. Respond quickly when an agency contacts you for a full application or interview. Bring IDs, Social Security cards, birth certificates for children, and proof of income. For a general list of papers, see our document checklist.
6. Search for housing early once you have a voucher. Start with tax-credit properties and landlords already in the program.

Related guides

• Fastest way to get Section 8
• Emergency housing vouchers in Texas
• Eviction assistance in Texas
• Texas Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Waitlist status, payment standards, and preferences are set by each housing agency and change often. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with HUD, TDHCA, any housing authority, or any government agency.