Housing Authority of the City of Santa Monica, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile
Housing Authority of the City of Santa Monica administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, CA, with 1,536 authorized HCV units. 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
- HA Glendale
Housing Authority of the City of Glendale
1,667 units
- City of Oceanside Community Development Comm
City of Oceanside Community Development Comm
1,600 units
- This PHA
Housing Authority of the City of Santa Monica (this PHA)
1,536 units
- City of Pasadena Housing Department
City of Pasadena Housing Department
1,525 units
- HA NAPA
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NAPA
1,470 units
- HA County of Humboldt
Housing Authority of the County of Humboldt
1,407 units
The verdict
Housing Authority of the City of Santa Monica administers 1,536 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - a mid-to-large Section 8 agency nationally, larger than 51% of CA agencies.
- 1,536
- authorized Section 8 vouchers
- 90th
- percentile by size, nationally
- 51st
- percentile in CA
As a HUD-certified Public Housing Authority in CA, Housing Authority of the City of Santa Monica runs Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance with 1,536 authorized Section 8 units. Reach the agency directly for current waitlist status and application steps.
- 51st percentile by unit count in CA
Section 8 / HCV units
1,536
HUD-authorized
Total authorized units
-
All programs combined
State-rank percentile
51 th
Among CA PHAs
2-BR standard range · CA
$1,054–$4,223 /mo
Median $1,505/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 the City of Santa Monica 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.
1,536 Top 18% higher than 82% 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 Housing Authority of the City of Santa Monica Tells You
HUD authorizes 1,536 Section 8 / HCV units for this agency. 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 of Santa Monica is listed as an active administering entity.
Ranked by Section 8 unit count within CA, it sits at the 51st percentile there, ahead of 51% of CA PHAs by that measure. HUD's directory categorizes it under the "Section 8" program type, the classification that governs which voucher streams -- regular HCV, VASH, Family Unification, Mainstream, or project-based conversions -- it is eligible to 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 of Santa Monica 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 3104582201. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state.
Contact this PHA
- Phone
- 3104582201
- Fax
- 3102647757
- natalie.verlinich@santamonica.gov
- Executive Director
- natalie.verlinich@santamonica.gov · 3104582201
How to apply at Housing Authority of the City of Santa Monica
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 Santa Monica 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 of Santa Monica 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:
- City of Pasadena Housing Department · 1,525 units
- City of Oceanside Community Development Comm · 1,600 units
- HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NAPA · 1,470 units
- Housing Authority of the County of Humboldt · 1,407 units
- Housing Authority of the City of Glendale · 1,667 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 the City of Santa Monica. 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.