City of Buffalo, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile
City of Buffalo administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, NY, with 5,329 authorized HCV units. Contact details, payment-standard reference, and nearby PHAs to broaden your waitlist strategy.
How this PHA compares nearby
Authorized HCV units · City of Buffalo vs nearby NY agencies
- Town of Amherst
Town of Amherst
5,695 units
- This PHA
City of Buffalo (this PHA)
5,329 units
- The Municipal Hsng Authority City Yonkers
The Municipal Hsng Authority City Yonkers
5,133 units
- Albany HA
Albany Housing Authority
4,281 units
- Syracuse HA
Syracuse Housing Authority
4,244 units
- Troy HA 2,123
Troy Housing Authority
2,123 units
The verdict
City of Buffalo administers 5,329 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, larger than 97% of NY agencies.
- 5,329
- authorized Section 8 vouchers
- 97th
- percentile by size, nationally
- 97th
- percentile in NY
As a HUD-certified Public Housing Authority in NY, City of Buffalo runs Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance with 5,329 authorized Section 8 units. Reach the agency directly for current waitlist status and application steps.
- 97th percentile by unit count in NY
Section 8 / HCV units
5,329
HUD-authorized
Total authorized units
-
All programs combined
State-rank percentile
97 th
Among NY PHAs
2-BR standard range · NY
$933–$2,586 /mo
Median $1,159/mo · 2-BR
Compared to nationwide HUD median of 62%, PHAs with high HCV share typically focus on tenant-based assistance over project-based public housing.
Where City of Buffalo 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.
5,329 Top 5% higher than 95% of 2,129 voucher-running PHAs
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 City of Buffalo Tells You
City of Buffalo is one of 3,780 agencies HUD tracks in its PIH Open Data directory for the Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher program operating in NY. This agency's HUD authorization runs to 5,329 Section 8 / HCV units.
By Section 8 unit count among NY agencies, it lands at the 97th percentile, larger than 97% of its in-state peers. HUD logs its program type as "Section 8," which determines which voucher streams (regular HCV, VASH, Family Unification, Mainstream, or project-based conversions) it can run. 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 NY's 39 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard runs $933-$2,586/month (median $1,159); City of Buffalo 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 7168820063. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state.
Contact this PHA
- Phone
- 7168820063
- Fax
- 7168863790
- jmc@racbny.org
- Executive Director
- jmc@racbny.org · 7168820063
How to apply at City of Buffalo
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 "City of Buffalo 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 NY's 39 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $933–$2,586/month (median $1,159). City of Buffalo 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 NY
Waitlists open and close on their own schedules, so spreading applications across nearby PHAs improves your odds. Nearby agencies:
- The Municipal Hsng Authority City Yonkers · 5,133 units
- Town of Amherst · 5,695 units
- Albany Housing Authority · 4,281 units
- Syracuse Housing Authority · 4,244 units
- Troy Housing Authority · 2,123 units
Related guides
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 City of Buffalo. 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.