Housing Authority Of Baltimore City, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile
Housing Authority Of Baltimore City administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, MD, with 21,280 authorized HCV units (HUD Standard Performer size bracket). Contact details, payment-standard reference, and nearby PHAs to broaden your waitlist strategy.
How this PHA compares nearby
Authorized HCV units · HA vs nearby MD agencies
- This PHA
Housing Authority Of Baltimore City (this PHA)
21,280 units
- HOUSING OPPRTY COM OF MONTGOMERY CO 8,021
HOUSING OPPRTY COM OF MONTGOMERY CO
8,021 units
- Baltimore County, MD 6,716
Baltimore County, MD
6,716 units
- HA Prince Georges County 5,986
Housing Authority of Prince Georges County
5,986 units
- MD Dept. Of Housing and Community Development 2,868
MD Dept. Of Housing and Community Development
2,868 units
- Housing Commisson Of Anne Arundel County 2,824
Housing Commisson Of Anne Arundel County
2,824 units
The verdict
Housing Authority Of Baltimore City administers 21,280 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, the largest in MD.
- 21,280
- authorized Section 8 vouchers
- 99th
- percentile by size, nationally
- 99th
- percentile in MD
Housing Authority Of Baltimore City is a Public Housing Authority in MD administering Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers with 21,280 authorized Section 8 units (Standard Performer size bracket). Contact this PHA directly to check waitlist status and request an application.
- 99th percentile by unit count in MD
- HUD size bracket: Standard Performer
Section 8 / HCV units
21,280
Standard Performer bracket
Total authorized units
6,576
All programs combined
State-rank percentile
99 th
Among MD PHAs
2-BR standard range · MD
$933–$2,314 /mo
Median $1,295/mo · 2-BR
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 Housing Authority Of Baltimore City 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.
21,280 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Housing Authority Of Baltimore City: What the HUD Directory Shows
HUD authorizes 21,280 Section 8 / HCV units for this agency, against 6,576 total authorized units across every HUD program combined. That count sits inside HUD's national PIH roster of 3,780 Section 8 agencies, MD's share of the total, where Housing Authority Of Baltimore City is listed as an active administering entity. Under HUD's PHAS scoring, this agency carries a "Standard Performer" designation, a bracket that affects how often it reports and how closely HUD oversees it.
Ranked by Section 8 unit count within MD, it sits at the 99th percentile there, ahead of 99% of MD PHAs by that measure. 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. 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 MD's 14 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard runs $933-$2,314/month (median $1,295); Housing Authority Of Baltimore City 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 4103963232. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state.
Contact this PHA
- Phone
- 4103963232
- Fax
- 4105457771
- janet.abrahams@habc.org
- Executive Director
- jabrahams@habc.org · 4103965504
How to apply at Housing Authority Of Baltimore City
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 "Housing Authority Of Baltimore City 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 MD's 14 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $933–$2,314/month (median $1,295). Housing Authority Of Baltimore City 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 MD
Waitlists open and close on their own schedules, so spreading applications across nearby PHAs improves your odds. Nearby agencies:
- HOUSING OPPRTY COM OF MONTGOMERY CO · 8,021 units
- Baltimore County, MD · 6,716 units
- Housing Authority of Prince Georges County · 5,986 units
- MD Dept. Of Housing and Community Development · 2,868 units
- Housing Commisson Of Anne Arundel County · 2,824 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 Housing Authority Of Baltimore City. 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.