Orange County Housing Authority, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile
Orange County Housing Authority administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, CA, with 11,686 authorized HCV units. Contact details, payment-standard reference, and nearby PHAs to broaden your waitlist strategy.
How this PHA compares nearby
Authorized HCV units · Orange County HA vs nearby CA agencies
- Santa Clara County HA
Santa Clara County Housing Authority
12,606 units
- HA County of San Diego
Housing Authority of the County of San Diego
12,507 units
- HA County of San Bernardino
Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino
11,881 units
- This PHA
Orange County Housing Authority (this PHA)
11,686 units
- HA County of Riverside
Housing Authority of the County of Riverside
10,267 units
- HA County Contra Costa
Housing Authority of the County Contra Costa
9,811 units
The verdict
Orange County Housing Authority administers 11,686 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, larger than 91% of CA agencies.
- 11,686
- authorized Section 8 vouchers
- 99th
- percentile by size, nationally
- 91st
- percentile in CA
Orange County Housing Authority is a Public Housing Authority in CA administering Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers with 11,686 authorized Section 8 units. Contact this PHA directly to check waitlist status and request an application.
- 91st percentile by unit count in CA
Section 8 / HCV units
11,686
HUD-authorized
Total authorized units
-
All programs combined
State-rank percentile
91 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 Orange County Housing Authority 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.
11,686 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Orange County Housing Authority: What the HUD Directory Shows
HUD authorizes 11,686 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 Orange County Housing Authority is listed as an active administering entity.
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. Ranked by Section 8 unit count within CA, it sits at the 91st percentile there, ahead of 91% 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 7144802700. 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); Orange County Housing Authority 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
- 7144802700
- Fax
- 7144802945
- January.Johnson@occr.ocgov.com
- Executive Director
- Julia.Bidwell@occr.ocgov.com · 7144802991
How to apply at Orange County Housing Authority
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 "Orange County Housing Authority 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). Orange County Housing Authority 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
Waitlists open and close on their own schedules, so spreading applications across nearby PHAs improves your odds. Nearby agencies:
- Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino · 11,881 units
- Housing Authority of the County of San Diego · 12,507 units
- Santa Clara County Housing Authority · 12,606 units
- Housing Authority of the County of Riverside · 10,267 units
- Housing Authority of the County Contra Costa · 9,811 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 Orange County Housing Authority. 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.