HUD PIH directory · Section 8 / HCV
Chicago Housing Authority, Section 8 / HCV PHA profile
Chicago Housing Authority administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, IL, with 54,082 authorized HCV units (HUD Advisory size bracket). Contact details, payment-standard reference, and nearby PHAs to broaden your waitlist strategy.
- 54,082
- Authorized HCV units
- 99th
- National size percentile
- 99th
- IL size percentile
- 83
- IL FMR areas
How this PHA compares nearby
Authorized HCV units · Chicago HA vs nearby IL agencies
- This PHA
Chicago Housing Authority (this PHA)
54,082 units
- HA Cook County 14,142
Housing Authority Cook County
14,142 units
- DuPage HA 3,360
DuPage Housing Authority
3,360 units
- HA County of Lake, IL. 3,282
Housing Authority of the County of Lake, IL.
3,282 units
- HA Joliet 2,797
Housing Authority of Joliet
2,797 units
- St. Clair County HA 2,695
St. Clair County Housing Authority
2,695 units
The verdict
Chicago Housing Authority administers 54,082 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, the largest in IL.
- 54,082
- authorized Section 8 vouchers
- 99th
- percentile by size, nationally
- 99th
- percentile in IL
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.
Chicago Housing Authority, based in IL, appears in HUD's directory with a reported Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher authorization with 54,082 authorized Section 8 units (Advisory size bracket). The directory does not provide a current waitlist or application-status feed.
- 99th percentile by unit count in IL
- HUD size bracket: Advisory
Section 8 / HCV units
54,082
Largest tier nationally · Advisory bracket
Total authorized units
19,576
Largest tier nationally · all programs combined
State-rank percentile
99 th
Top decile among IL PHAs
2-BR standard range · IL
$916–$2,050 /mo
Median $916/mo · 2-BR
Scale profile for Chicago Housing Authority
With 54,082 authorized Housing Choice Voucher units, Chicago Housing Authority sits at the 99th percentile of every U.S. PHA that reports an HCV ceiling , and at the 99th percentile inside IL. That puts it among the larger local administrators of federal rental assistance, not a single-office rural authority.
Across IL's 83 HUD FMR areas, FY2026 2-bedroom payment standards run $916–$2,050/month (median $916). 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 IL PHAs appear in the nearby list below; comparing authorized-unit counts there shows whether Chicago Housing Authority is the dominant local issuer or one of several large peers.
Compared to nationwide HUD median of 62%, PHAs with high HCV share typically focus on tenant-based assistance over project-based public housing.
Where Chicago 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.
54,082 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
What HUD's PIH Record for Chicago Housing Authority Tells You
HUD's PHAS system places it in the "Advisory" size bracket, which shapes reporting cadence and oversight intensity. Chicago 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 IL. HUD authorizes 54,082 Section 8 / HCV units for this agency, against 19,576 total authorized units across every HUD program combined.
HUD logs its program type as "Combined," which determines which voucher streams (regular HCV, VASH, Family Unification, Mainstream, or project-based conversions) it can run. By Section 8 unit count among IL 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.
Across IL's 83 HUD FMR areas, the FY2026 2-bedroom payment standard runs $916-$2,050/month (median $916); Chicago 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. its main line is 3127428500. Verify current programs, availability, and any application path directly with the agency.
Contact this PHA
- Phone
- 3127428500
- CHACETeam@thecha.org
- Executive Director
- mbrewer@thecha.org · 3129137040
How to apply at Chicago Housing Authority
How to use this PHA record
HUD's directory reports 54,082 authorized Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher units for Chicago 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 IL's 83 HUD FMR areas, the FY2026 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $916–$2,050/month (median $916). These are area reference amounts, not a payment promise from Chicago 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 Chicago Housing Authority, outside IL so they are not the same-state scale matches above.
Similar authorized HCV units
Nearest nationwide agencies outside IL (54,082 HCV units here).
- Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles · CA · 53,428 HCV
- NYS Housing Trust Fund Corporation · NY · 52,084 HCV
- NYC Dept of Housing Preservation and Dev · NY · 42,258 HCV
- Michigan State Housing Development Authority · MI · 32,308 HCV
Similar total HUD units
Nearest nationwide agencies by combined program inventory outside IL (19,576 total units here).
- Philadelphia Housing Authority · PA · 11,751 total
- D.C Housing Authority · DC · 8,851 total
- Boston Housing Authority · MA · 8,723 total
- San Antonio Housing Authority · TX · 7,888 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 IL
Comparable IL PHA records, ordered by reported unit count:
- Housing Authority Cook County · 14,142 units
- DuPage Housing Authority · 3,360 units
- Housing Authority of the County of Lake, IL. · 3,282 units
- Housing Authority of Joliet · 2,797 units
- St. Clair County Housing Authority · 2,695 units
What to do with this PHA profile
Chicago Housing Authority is a HUD PIH directory record with 54,082 authorized HCV units.
- Open the Illinois state directory for PHA-count vs authorized-HCV context. Illinois 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 Chicago Housing Authority?
HUD's PIH directory reports 54,082 authorized Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher units for Chicago Housing Authority in IL. 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 Chicago 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 Chicago Housing Authority part of HUD?
HUD lists Chicago 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 Chicago 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 →