Harlingen Housing Authority, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile
Harlingen Housing Authority administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, TX, with 830 authorized HCV units (HUD High Performer size bracket). Contact details, payment-standard reference, and nearby PHAs to broaden your waitlist strategy.
How this PHA compares nearby
Authorized HCV units · Harlingen HA vs nearby TX agencies
- HA Texas City
Housing Authority of the City of Texas City
881 units
- HA City of Orange
Housing Authority City of Orange
873 units
- HA Baytown
Housing Authority of the City of Baytown
841 units
- This PHA
Harlingen Housing Authority (this PHA)
830 units
- Mission HA
Mission Housing Authority
814 units
- Greenville HA
Greenville Housing Authority
792 units
The verdict
Harlingen Housing Authority administers 830 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - a mid-to-large Section 8 agency nationally, larger than 87% of TX agencies.
- 830
- authorized Section 8 vouchers
- 83rd
- percentile by size, nationally
- 87th
- percentile in TX
Harlingen Housing Authority is a Public Housing Authority in TX administering Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers with 830 authorized Section 8 units (High Performer size bracket). Contact this PHA directly to check waitlist status and request an application.
- 87th percentile by unit count in TX
- HUD size bracket: High Performer
Section 8 / HCV units
830
High Performer bracket
Total authorized units
498
All programs combined
State-rank percentile
87 th
Among TX PHAs
2-BR standard range · TX
$933–$1,949 /mo
Median $976/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 Harlingen 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.
830 Top 30% higher than 70% 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 Harlingen Housing Authority Tells You
Harlingen 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 TX. This agency's HUD authorization runs to 830 Section 8 / HCV units, out of 498 total authorized units when every HUD program is counted. HUD's PHAS system places it in the "High Performer" size bracket, which shapes reporting cadence and oversight intensity.
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. Ranked by Section 8 unit count within TX, it sits at the 87th percentile there, ahead of 87% of TX 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 TX's 215 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard runs $933-$1,949/month (median $976); Harlingen 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 9564232521. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state.
Contact this PHA
- Phone
- 9564232521
- Fax
- 9564250455
- hbenavides@harlingen-ha.com
- Executive Director
- hbenavides@harlingen-ha.com · 9564232521
How to apply at Harlingen 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 "Harlingen 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 TX's 215 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $933–$1,949/month (median $976). Harlingen 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 TX
A closed waitlist here doesn't rule out the region, applying to several nearby PHAs at once is the standard workaround. Agencies close by:
- Housing Authority of the City of Baytown · 841 units
- Mission Housing Authority · 814 units
- Greenville Housing Authority · 792 units
- Housing Authority City of Orange · 873 units
- Housing Authority of the City of Texas City · 881 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 Harlingen 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.