HUD PIH FY25 directory CA · Section 8 / HCV 5,674 HCV units High Performer bracket 81st percentile in CA

Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile

Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, CA, with 5,674 authorized HCV units (HUD High 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 CA agencies

units
Source HUD PIH authorized-unit directory As of FY2025

The verdict

Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz administers 5,674 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, larger than 81% of CA agencies.

5,674
authorized Section 8 vouchers
98th
percentile by size, nationally
81st
percentile in CA
5,674 Section 8 units

As a HUD-certified Public Housing Authority in CA, Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz runs Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance with 5,674 authorized Section 8 units (High Performer size bracket). Reach the agency directly for current waitlist status and application steps.

  • 81st percentile by unit count in CA
  • HUD size bracket: High Performer
Compiled from official public sources by the Plainvoucher team.

Section 8 / HCV units

5,674

High Performer bracket

Total authorized units

-

All programs combined

State-rank percentile

81 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 County of Santa Cruz 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 County of Santa Cruz 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.

5,674 Top 4% higher than 96% 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

Inside HUD's Federal Record for Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz

HUD's PHAS system places it in the "High Performer" size bracket, which shapes reporting cadence and oversight intensity. Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz is one of 3,780 agencies HUD tracks in its PIH Open Data directory for the Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher program operating in CA. HUD authorizes 5,674 Section 8 / HCV units for this agency.

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. Ranked by Section 8 unit count within CA, it sits at the 81st percentile there, ahead of 81% of CA PHAs by that measure. 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.

its main line is 8314549455. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state. 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 County of Santa Cruz 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.

Contact this PHA

Phone
8314549455
Fax
8314693712
Email
housing@hacosantacruz.org
Executive Director
housing@hacosantacruz.org · 8314549455
How to apply at Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz

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 County of Santa Cruz 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 County of Santa Cruz 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 County of Santa Cruz. 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 →