HUD PIH directory · Section 8 / HCV

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.

4,723
Authorized HCV units
94th
National size percentile
99th
SC size percentile
38
SC FMR areas
HUD PIH FY25 directory SC · Section 8 / HCV 4,723 HCV units Standard Performer bracket 99th percentile in SC
Browse all SC PHAs

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 - a mid-to-large Section 8 agency nationally, the largest in SC.

4,723
authorized Section 8 vouchers
94th
percentile by size, nationally
99th
percentile in SC
B+
Composite Score
78/100
Housing Authority of the City of Columbia

Based on authorized voucher scale, HUD's own PHAS performance designation, and state-wide housing-cost context from federal sources -- not wait-list length, application difficulty, unit quality, or day-to-day service experience.

Scale A+
4,723 units
Authorized Section 8 / HCV units, national percentile among reporting PHAs
HUD Performance B-
Standard Performer
HUD's own Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) designation
Cost Context C-
$1,009/mo
State-wide median 2BR payment standard (38 areas, 2026) -- not this PHA's specific service area
4,723 Section 8 units

HUD's directory lists Housing Authority of the City of Columbia in SC with a reported Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher authorization with 4,723 authorized Section 8 units (Standard Performer size bracket). Verify current programs, availability, and application steps directly with the agency.

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

Section 8 / HCV units

4,723

Mid-to-large nationally · Standard Performer bracket

Total authorized units

1,277

Largest tier nationally · all programs combined

State-rank percentile

99 th

Top decile among SC PHAs

2-BR standard range · SC

$902–$1,816 /mo

Median $1,009/mo · 2-BR

Scale profile for Housing Authority of the City of Columbia

With 4,723 authorized Housing Choice Voucher units, Housing Authority of the City of Columbia sits at the 94th percentile of every U.S. PHA that reports an HCV ceiling , and at the 99th percentile inside SC. That puts it among the larger local administrators of federal rental assistance, not a single-office rural authority.

Across SC's 38 HUD FMR areas, FY2026 2-bedroom payment standards run $902–$1,816/month (median $1,009). A large PHA like this typically serves more than one FMR area, so applicants should look up the metro-specific standard rather than treating the state median as their number. 5 other SC PHAs appear in the nearby list below; comparing authorized-unit counts there shows whether Housing Authority of the City of Columbia is the dominant local issuer or one of several large peers.

Section 8 / HCV share of Housing Authority of the City of Columbia authorized units 100.0%
HUD nationwide median

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 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 10,000-wide 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 of Columbia Tells You

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. This agency's HUD authorization runs to 4,723 Section 8 / HCV units, out of 1,277 total authorized units when every HUD program is counted.

Ranked by Section 8 unit count within SC, it sits at the 99th percentile there, ahead of 99% of SC 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 reports this authorized-unit figure as a capacity field. It is not a live waitlist, availability, eligibility, or application-status signal.

its main line is 8032543886. Verify current programs, availability, and any application path directly with the agency. Across SC's 38 HUD FMR areas, the FY2026 2-bedroom payment standard runs $902-$1,816/month (median $1,009); Housing Authority of the City of Columbia sets its own figure within 90-110 percent of HUD's Fair Market Rent for the specific area it serves, so confirm the exact number for your metro before signing anything.

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 use this PHA record

HUD's directory reports 4,723 authorized Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher units for Housing Authority of the City of Columbia. That is a reported authorization field, not a live waitlist, application, eligibility, or availability feed.

Use the contact details above to verify an agency's current programs and instructions directly. PlainVoucher does not predict an individual wait time, recommend an application path, or infer a household's eligibility from this directory record.

Payment standard reference

Payment standards are set per HUD FMR area, not per agency. Across SC's 38 HUD FMR areas, the FY2026 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $902–$1,816/month (median $1,009). These are area reference amounts, not a payment promise from Housing Authority of the City of Columbia for a particular household or unit.

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 agency before relying on it. See our Payment Standards vs. FMR guide for the source-backed area context.

Nationwide PHAs with similar voucher scale or total HUD inventory

Two cross-state peer sets for Housing Authority of the City of Columbia, outside SC so they are not the same-state scale matches above.

Similar authorized HCV units

Nearest nationwide agencies outside SC (4,723 HCV units here).

Similar total HUD units

Nearest nationwide agencies by combined program inventory outside SC (1,277 total units here).

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on HUD PIH authorized Section 8 units and total program inventory; agencies below 100 units on a metric are excluded from that axis.

Nearby PHAs in SC

Comparable SC PHA records, ordered by reported unit count:

Compare PHAs in SC side by side →

What to do with this PHA profile

Housing Authority of the City of Columbia is a HUD PIH directory record with 4,723 authorized HCV units.

  • Open the South Carolina state directory for PHA-count vs authorized-HCV context. South Carolina PHAs
  • Look up the HUD Fair Market Rent schedule that covers this market before reading payment-standard ranges. Payment standards
  • Read the process guides for waitlists, income limits, and portability - they explain HUD rules, not whether a household should apply. Guides hub

PlainVoucher is not affiliated with HUD or this PHA. Directory figures are informational only. Eligibility, waitlist status, and application routes are set by the PHA and change frequently - confirm with the agency directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the HUD record show for Housing Authority of the City of Columbia?

HUD's PIH directory reports 4,723 authorized Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher units for Housing Authority of the City of Columbia in SC. That authorization is a reported program-size field, not proof of a current waitlist, application route, eligibility decision, or available voucher.

Can I apply through this Housing Authority of the City of Columbia profile?

No. PlainVoucher's HUD directory record does not carry a live application or waitlist feed. Use the agency contact details to verify current programs, availability, application instructions, and eligibility directly before relying on this profile.

Is Housing Authority of the City of Columbia part of HUD?

HUD lists Housing Authority of the City of Columbia in its Public and Indian Housing directory as a local Public Housing Authority. This profile preserves HUD's reported record and contact fields; it does not establish the agency's current services or policies.

How should I read the payment-standard reference?

Payment standards vary by HUD Fair Market Rent area. PlainVoucher shows the published area reference, not a payment promise for a specific agency, household, or unit; confirm the current local figure directly before signing a lease.

Related guides

Source: HUD PIH Open Data (FY25). The PHA directory source was consolidated in April 2026. Payment-standard figures: Source: HUD USER Fair Market Rent FY2026. 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. It 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 →

Source and method. PlainVoucher compiles public HUD and U.S. Census release data into a searchable reference. Release periods and source boundaries are identified on each data surface; PlainVoucher does not determine eligibility, waitlist status, payment standards, or local PHA rules. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy, methodology, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-09-02.