HUD PIH FY25 directory SC · Section 8 / HCV 4,723 HCV units Standard Performer bracket 99th percentile in SC

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, SC, with 4,723 authorized HCV units (HUD Standard Performer size bracket). Contact details, payment-standard reference, and nearby PHAs to broaden your waitlist strategy.

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How this PHA compares nearby

Authorized HCV units · HA vs nearby SC agencies

units
Source HUD PIH authorized-unit directory As of FY2025

The verdict

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA administers 4,723 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, the largest in SC.

4,723
authorized Section 8 vouchers
97th
percentile by size, nationally
99th
percentile in SC
4,723 Section 8 units

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA, based in SC, administers the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program with 4,723 authorized Section 8 units (Standard Performer size bracket). Waitlist status changes without much notice, so confirm directly with the agency before applying.

  • 99th percentile by unit count in SC
  • HUD size bracket: Standard Performer
Compiled from official public sources by the Plainvoucher team.

Section 8 / HCV units

4,723

Standard Performer bracket

Total authorized units

1,277

All programs combined

State-rank percentile

99 th

Among SC PHAs

2-BR standard range · SC

$933–$1,824 /mo

Median $977/mo · 2-BR

Section 8 / HCV share of HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA 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 OF COLUMBIA 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.

4,723 Top 6% higher than 94% of 2,129 voucher-running PHAs

0–10,000: 2,086 voucher-running PHAs (98%). This entry sits in this band. 10,000–20,000: 29 voucher-running PHAs (1%). Above this entry. 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

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA: What the HUD Directory Shows

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. HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA is one of 3,780 agencies HUD tracks in its PIH Open Data directory for the Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher program operating in SC. HUD authorizes 4,723 Section 8 / HCV units for this agency, against 1,277 total authorized units across every HUD program combined.

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. By Section 8 unit count among SC agencies, it lands at the 99th percentile, larger than 99% of its in-state peers. 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 SC's 38 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard runs $933-$1,824/month (median $977); HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA 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 8032543886. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state.

Contact this PHA

Phone
8032543886
Fax
8033766114
Email
jpreston@columbiahousingsc.org
Executive Director
jpreston@columbiahousingsc.org · 8032543886
How to apply at HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA

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 OF COLUMBIA 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 SC's 38 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $933–$1,824/month (median $977). HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA 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 SC

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 SC 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 OF COLUMBIA. 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 →