HUD PIH directory · Section 8 / HCV
Boston Housing Authority, Section 8 / HCV PHA profile
Boston Housing Authority administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, MA, with 17,755 authorized HCV units (HUD Standard Performer size bracket). Contact details, payment-standard reference, and nearby PHAs to broaden your waitlist strategy.
- 17,755
- Authorized HCV units
- 99th
- National size percentile
- 99th
- MA size percentile
- 20
- MA FMR areas
How this PHA compares nearby
Authorized HCV units · Boston HA vs nearby MA agencies
- Exec. Office Housing & Livable Communities
Exec. Office Housing & Livable Communities
23,073 units
- This PHA
Boston Housing Authority (this PHA)
17,755 units
- Cambridge HA 7,597
Cambridge Housing Authority
7,597 units
- Worcester HA 3,700
Worcester Housing Authority
3,700 units
- Springfield HA 3,463
Springfield Housing Authority
3,463 units
- Fall River HA 2,477
Fall River Housing Authority
2,477 units
The verdict
Boston Housing Authority administers 17,755 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, larger than 99% of MA agencies.
- 17,755
- authorized Section 8 vouchers
- 99th
- percentile by size, nationally
- 99th
- percentile in MA
Based on authorized voucher scale, HUD's own PHAS performance designation, and state-wide housing-cost context from federal sources -- not wait-list length, application difficulty, unit quality, or day-to-day service experience.
Boston Housing Authority, based in MA, appears in HUD's directory with a reported Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher authorization with 17,755 authorized Section 8 units (Standard Performer size bracket). The directory does not provide a current waitlist or application-status feed.
- 99th percentile by unit count in MA
- HUD size bracket: Standard Performer
Section 8 / HCV units
17,755
Largest tier nationally · Standard Performer bracket
Total authorized units
8,723
Largest tier nationally · all programs combined
State-rank percentile
99 th
Top decile among MA PHAs
2-BR standard range · MA
$1,527–$3,138 /mo
Median $2,078/mo · 2-BR
Scale profile for Boston Housing Authority
With 17,755 authorized Housing Choice Voucher units, Boston Housing Authority sits at the 99th percentile of every U.S. PHA that reports an HCV ceiling , and at the 99th percentile inside MA. That puts it among the larger local administrators of federal rental assistance, not a single-office rural authority.
Across MA's 20 HUD FMR areas, FY2026 2-bedroom payment standards run $1,527–$3,138/month (median $2,078). A large PHA like this typically serves more than one FMR area, so applicants should look up the metro-specific standard rather than treating the state median as their number. 5 other MA PHAs appear in the nearby list below; comparing authorized-unit counts there shows whether Boston Housing Authority is the dominant local issuer or one of several large peers.
The nationwide HUD median sits at 62%; agencies running a higher HCV share than that tend to lean toward tenant-based vouchers rather than project-based public housing stock.
Where Boston Housing Authority sits among U.S. PHAs
By authorized Housing Choice Vouchers, across every PHA that runs them. Most are small; a handful of big-city authorities run the long right tail.
17,755 Top 1% higher than 99% of 2,129 voucher-running PHAs
Each bar is a 10,000-wide band; taller bars hold more voucher-running PHAs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source HUD PIH authorized-unit directory · FY2025
Inside HUD's Federal Record for Boston Housing Authority
Boston Housing Authority appears in HUD's Public and Indian Housing (PIH) Open Data set, one of 3,780 Public Housing Authorities nationwide running the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program alongside every other agency in MA. This agency's HUD authorization runs to 17,755 Section 8 / HCV units, out of 8,723 total authorized units when every HUD program is counted. Under HUD's PHAS scoring, this agency carries a "Standard Performer" designation, a bracket that affects how often it reports and how closely HUD oversees it.
HUD's directory categorizes it under the "Combined" program type, the classification that governs which voucher streams -- regular HCV, VASH, Family Unification, Mainstream, or project-based conversions -- it is eligible to run. By Section 8 unit count among MA agencies, it lands at the 99th percentile, larger than 99% of its in-state peers. The HUD directory records an authorized-unit count, not a live vacancy or admissions status. Verify current program details directly with the agency.
its main line is 6179884000. Verify current programs, availability, and any application path directly with the agency. Across MA's 20 HUD FMR areas, the FY2026 2-bedroom payment standard runs $1,527-$3,138/month (median $2,078); Boston Housing Authority sets its own figure within 90-110 percent of HUD's Fair Market Rent for the specific area it serves, so confirm the exact number for your metro before signing anything.
Contact this PHA
- Phone
- 6179884000
- Fax
- 6179884027
- communications@bostonhousing.org
- Executive Director
- BHAAdmin@bostonhousing.org · 6179884119
How to apply at Boston Housing Authority
How to use this PHA record
HUD's directory reports 17,755 authorized Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher units for Boston Housing Authority. That is a reported authorization field, not a live waitlist, application, eligibility, or availability feed.
Use the contact details above to verify an agency's current programs and instructions directly. PlainVoucher does not predict an individual wait time, recommend an application path, or infer a household's eligibility from this directory record.
Payment standard reference
Payment standards are set per HUD FMR area, not per agency. Across MA's 20 HUD FMR areas, the FY2026 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $1,527–$3,138/month (median $2,078). These are area reference amounts, not a payment promise from Boston Housing Authority for a particular household or unit.
Find your exact number: look up the 2-, 1-, and 3-bedroom payment standards for your metro with the payment-standard lookup tool, then confirm the current figure with the agency before relying on it. See our Payment Standards vs. FMR guide for the source-backed area context.
Nationwide PHAs with similar voucher scale or total HUD inventory
Two cross-state peer sets for Boston Housing Authority, outside MA so they are not the same-state scale matches above.
Similar authorized HCV units
Nearest nationwide agencies outside MA (17,755 HCV units here).
- Georgia Residential Finance · GA · 18,175 HCV
- Housing Authority of New Orleans · LA · 18,318 HCV
- D.C Housing Authority · DC · 16,525 HCV
- San Diego Housing Commission · CA · 16,368 HCV
Similar total HUD units
Nearest nationwide agencies by combined program inventory outside MA (8,723 total units here).
- San Antonio Housing Authority · TX · 7,888 total
- Housing Authority Of Baltimore City · MD · 6,576 total
- Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles · CA · 6,302 total
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on HUD PIH authorized Section 8 units and total program inventory; agencies below 100 units on a metric are excluded from that axis.
Nearby PHAs in MA
Use these separate MA directory records for comparison; verify current programs with each agency directly:
- Exec. Office Housing & Livable Communities · 23,073 units
- Cambridge Housing Authority · 7,597 units
- Worcester Housing Authority · 3,700 units
- Springfield Housing Authority · 3,463 units
- Fall River Housing Authority · 2,477 units
What to do with this PHA profile
Boston Housing Authority is a HUD PIH directory record with 17,755 authorized HCV units.
- Open the Massachusetts state directory for PHA-count vs authorized-HCV context. Massachusetts PHAs
- Look up the HUD Fair Market Rent schedule that covers this market before reading payment-standard ranges. Payment standards
- Read the process guides for waitlists, income limits, and portability - they explain HUD rules, not whether a household should apply. Guides hub
PlainVoucher is not affiliated with HUD or this PHA. Directory figures are informational only. Eligibility, waitlist status, and application routes are set by the PHA and change frequently - confirm with the agency directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the HUD record show for Boston Housing Authority?
HUD's PIH directory reports 17,755 authorized Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher units for Boston Housing Authority in MA. That authorization is a reported program-size field, not proof of a current waitlist, application route, eligibility decision, or available voucher.
Can I apply through this Boston Housing Authority profile?
No. PlainVoucher's HUD directory record does not carry a live application or waitlist feed. Use the agency contact details to verify current programs, availability, application instructions, and eligibility directly before relying on this profile.
Is Boston Housing Authority part of HUD?
HUD lists Boston Housing Authority in its Public and Indian Housing directory as a local Public Housing Authority. This profile preserves HUD's reported record and contact fields; it does not establish the agency's current services or policies.
How should I read the payment-standard reference?
Payment standards vary by HUD Fair Market Rent area. PlainVoucher shows the published area reference, not a payment promise for a specific agency, household, or unit; confirm the current local figure directly before signing a lease.
Related guides
Source: HUD PIH Open Data (FY25). The PHA directory source was consolidated in April 2026. Payment-standard figures: Source: HUD USER Fair Market Rent FY2026. If any contact detail has changed, please email corrections@plainvoucher.com. See our methodology for how we compile and cross-reference this data.
⚠ Disclaimer. PlainVoucher is not affiliated with HUD or with Boston Housing Authority. Data here is compiled from HUD public sources for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for consulting the PHA directly about eligibility, waitlist status, or application procedures.
Read our methodology, how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. · Verify with HUD →