HUD PIH FY25 directory IL · Section 8 / HCV 54,082 HCV units Advisory bracket 99th percentile in IL

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.

Browse all IL PHAs

Reviewed by ·

How this PHA compares nearby

Authorized HCV units · Chicago HA vs nearby IL agencies

units
Source HUD PIH authorized-unit directory As of FY2025

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

Source: HUD PIH authorized-unit directory (FY2025). Contact the PHA directly for waitlist status.

54,082 Section 8 units

Chicago Housing Authority is a Public Housing Authority in IL administering Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers with 54,082 authorized Section 8 units (Advisory size bracket). Contact this PHA directly to check waitlist status and request an application.

  • 99th percentile by unit count in IL
  • HUD size bracket: Advisory
  • Cross-referenced with HUD FY25 Payment Standards
Compiled from official public sources by the Plainvoucher team.

Section 8 / HCV units

54,082

Advisory bracket

Total authorized units

19,576

All programs combined

State-rank percentile

99 th

Among IL PHAs

2-BR standard range · IL

$870–$1,886 /mo

Median $870/mo · 2-BR

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

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

0–10,000: 2,086 voucher-running PHAs (98%). Below this entry. 10,000–20,000: 29 voucher-running PHAs (1%). Below this entry. 20,000–30,000: 8 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Below this entry. 30,000–40,000: 1 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Below this entry. 40,000–50,000: 1 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Below this entry. 50,000–60,000: 3 voucher-running PHAs (0%). This entry sits in this band. 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

What HUD's PIH Record for Chicago Housing Authority Tells You

Chicago Housing Authority appears in HUD's Public and Indian Housing (PIH) Open Data directory as one of 3,780 Public Housing Authorities nationwide that administer the Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher program, a group in which IL is represented. HUD records authorize 54,082 Section 8 / HCV units for this agency, against 19,576 total authorized units across all programs (public housing, HCV, and any Moderate Rehabilitation stock). HUD classifies this PHA under the "Advisory" size bracket, a designation that determines reporting cadence and oversight intensity.

Ranked by Section 8 unit count within IL, Chicago Housing Authority sits at the 99th percentile, meaning 99% of IL PHAs authorize fewer units, a useful proxy for program scale and local footprint. HUD records the program type as "Combined", which shapes which voucher streams (regular HCV, VASH, Family Unification, Mainstream, or project-based conversions) this agency can operate. Every PHA in the directory runs its own waitlist, publishes its own admissions plan, and sets its own local preferences within the federal Section 8 rulebook, so the authorized-unit count is a ceiling, not a guarantee of current availability.

Across IL's 83 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges from $870 to $1,886/month (median $870); each PHA sets its own within 90–110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent for the specific area it serves, so confirm the figure for your metro with the agency or the payment-standard lookup. Contact information in the HUD directory its main line (3127428500) is the canonical route for waitlist status and application paperwork. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy, applying to multiple agencies in IL materially improves your odds of a faster voucher issue.

Contact this PHA

Phone
3127428500
Email
CHACETeam@thecha.org
Executive Director
mbrewer@thecha.org · 3129137040

About this PHA

Chicago Housing Authority is one of 3,780 Public Housing Authorities listed in the HUD PIH Open Data directory. It administers the Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program (program type: Combined). HUD records show 54,082 authorized Section 8 / HCV units for this PHA. Total authorized units (all programs): 19,576.

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 "Chicago 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 IL's 83 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $870–$1,886/month (median $870). Chicago 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 IL

If this PHA's waitlist is closed, applying to additional PHAs in the same region is a recommended strategy. Other PHAs nearby:

Compare PHAs in IL 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 Chicago 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 →