HUD PIH FY25 directory CA · Section 8 / HCV 16,212 HCV units Standard Performer bracket 97th percentile in CA

Housing Authority of the City & County of SF, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile

Housing Authority of the City & County of SF administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, CA, with 16,212 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 CA agencies

units
Source HUD PIH authorized-unit directory As of FY2025

The verdict

Housing Authority of the City & County of SF administers 16,212 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, larger than 97% of CA agencies.

16,212
authorized Section 8 vouchers
99th
percentile by size, nationally
97th
percentile in CA
16,212 Section 8 units

Housing Authority of the City & County of SF, based in CA, administers the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program with 16,212 authorized Section 8 units (Standard Performer size bracket). Waitlist status changes without much notice, so confirm directly with the agency before applying.

  • 97th percentile by unit count in CA
  • HUD size bracket: Standard Performer
Compiled from official public sources by the Plainvoucher team.

Section 8 / HCV units

16,212

Standard Performer bracket

Total authorized units

534

All programs combined

State-rank percentile

97 th

Among CA PHAs

2-BR standard range · CA

$1,054–$4,223 /mo

Median $1,505/mo · 2-BR

Section 8 / HCV share of Housing Authority of the City & County of SF 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 Housing Authority of the City & County of SF 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.

16,212 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%). This entry sits in this band. 20,000–30,000: 8 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 30,000–40,000: 1 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 40,000–50,000: 1 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 50,000–60,000: 3 voucher-running PHAs (0%). Above this entry. 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 Housing Authority of the City & County of SF Tells You

HUD authorizes 16,212 Section 8 / HCV units for this agency, against 534 total authorized units across every HUD program combined. That count sits inside HUD's national PIH roster of 3,780 Section 8 agencies, CA's share of the total, where Housing Authority of the City & County of SF 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.

By Section 8 unit count among CA agencies, it lands at the 97th percentile, larger than 97% of its in-state peers. 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. 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 this authorized-unit figure is a ceiling, not a promise of current availability.

Across CA's 51 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard runs $1,054-$4,223/month (median $1,505); Housing Authority of the City & County of SF 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 4157153276. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state.

Contact this PHA

Phone
4157153276
Fax
4157153201
Email
adamsd@sfha.org
Executive Director
adamsd@sfha.org · 6503600969
How to apply at Housing Authority of the City & County of SF

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 the City & County of SF 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 CA's 51 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $1,054–$4,223/month (median $1,505). Housing Authority of the City & County of SF 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 CA

A closed waitlist here doesn't rule out the region, applying to several nearby PHAs at once is the standard workaround. Agencies close by:

Compare PHAs in CA 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 Housing Authority of the City & County of SF. 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.

Verify with HUD →