HUD PIH FY25 directory MA · Section 8 / HCV 7,597 HCV units Advisory bracket 98th percentile in MA

Cambridge Housing Authority, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile

Cambridge Housing Authority administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, MA, with 7,597 authorized HCV units (HUD Advisory size bracket). Contact details, payment-standard reference, and nearby PHAs to broaden your waitlist strategy.

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How this PHA compares nearby

Authorized HCV units · Cambridge HA vs nearby MA agencies

units
Source HUD PIH authorized-unit directory As of FY2025

The verdict

Cambridge Housing Authority administers 7,597 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, larger than 98% of MA agencies.

7,597
authorized Section 8 vouchers
98th
percentile by size, nationally
98th
percentile in MA
7,597 Section 8 units

As a HUD-certified Public Housing Authority in MA, Cambridge Housing Authority runs Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance with 7,597 authorized Section 8 units (Advisory size bracket). Reach the agency directly for current waitlist status and application steps.

  • 98th percentile by unit count in MA
  • HUD size bracket: Advisory
Compiled from official public sources by the Plainvoucher team.

Section 8 / HCV units

7,597

Advisory bracket

Total authorized units

52

All programs combined

State-rank percentile

98 th

Among MA PHAs

2-BR standard range · MA

$1,448–$2,842 /mo

Median $1,899/mo · 2-BR

Section 8 / HCV share of Cambridge Housing Authority authorized units 100.0%
HUD nationwide median

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 Cambridge 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.

7,597 Top 3% higher than 97% of 2,129 voucher-running PHAs

0–10,000: 2,086 voucher-running PHAs (98%). This entry sits in this band. 10,000–20,000: 29 voucher-running PHAs (1%). Above this entry. 20,000–30,000: 8 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 30,000–40,000: 1 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 40,000–50,000: 1 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 50,000–60,000: 3 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 60,000–70,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 70,000–80,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 80,000–90,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 90,000–100,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 100,000–110,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 110,000–120,000: 0 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 120,000–130,000: 1 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. This PHA 0 130,000 every voucher-running PHA, bucketed by value

Each bar is a 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 Cambridge Housing Authority

Under HUD's PHAS scoring, this agency carries a "Advisory" designation, a bracket that affects how often it reports and how closely HUD oversees it. Cambridge Housing Authority is one of 3,780 agencies HUD tracks in its PIH Open Data directory for the Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher program operating in MA. HUD authorizes 7,597 Section 8 / HCV units for this agency, against 52 total authorized units across every HUD program combined.

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. Ranked by Section 8 unit count within MA, it sits at the 98th percentile there, ahead of 98% of MA PHAs by that measure. HUD sets the ceiling; each PHA still runs its own waitlist, admissions plan, and local preferences under the federal Section 8 rulebook, so the number above caps capacity without guaranteeing an open list today.

Across MA's 19 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard runs $1,448-$2,842/month (median $1,899); Cambridge Housing Authority sets its own figure within 90-110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent for the specific area it serves, so confirm the exact number for your metro before signing anything. its main line is 6178643020. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state.

Contact this PHA

Phone
6178643020
Fax
6175479821
Email
ed@cambridge-housing.org
Executive Director
mjjohnston@cambridge-housing.org · 6175206228
How to apply at Cambridge Housing Authority

How to apply at this PHA

Before applying, confirm whether this PHA's waitlist is currently open. Waitlist status can change without much notice, some PHAs open for as little as 72 hours at a time. Application channels typically include:

  • The PHA's own website (search "Cambridge Housing Authority Section 8 application")
  • A public notice posted at the PHA office or in the legal notices of the local newspaper
  • HUD-approved housing counseling agencies in the area
  • Local legal-aid and tenant-advocacy groups

See our step-by-step How to Apply for Section 8 guide for the full federal application process.

What to expect, typical waitlist

HUD does not publish current waitlist open/closed status centrally, and waitlist lengths vary sharply by local demand. In high-cost metros, waits can exceed 5–10 years and many waitlists are closed. In smaller cities and rural counties, waits of 6 months to 3 years are more typical. Some PHAs use a lottery rather than first-come-first-served. This site does not predict your individual wait time. Contact the PHA directly to confirm the current list status and whether local preferences apply to your household. Our waitlist strategy guide explains how to maximize your odds by applying to multiple PHAs.

Payment standard reference

Payment standards are set per HUD FMR area, not per agency. Across MA's 19 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $1,448–$2,842/month (median $1,899). Cambridge Housing Authority sets its own figure within 90–110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent for the specific area it serves.

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 PHA before signing a lease. See our Payment Standards vs. FMR guide.

Nearby PHAs in MA

Waitlists open and close on their own schedules, so spreading applications across nearby PHAs improves your odds. Nearby agencies:

Compare PHAs in MA side by side →

Source: HUD PIH Open Data (FY25). Last compiled April 2026. Payment-standard figures: Source: HUD USER Fair Market Rent FY2025. 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 Cambridge Housing Authority. Data here is compiled from HUD public sources for informational purposes only and 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 →