HUD PIH FY25 directory PA · Section 8 / HCV 25,063 HCV units Advisory bracket 99th percentile in PA

Philadelphia Housing Authority, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile

Philadelphia Housing Authority administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, PA, with 25,063 authorized HCV units (HUD Advisory 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 · Philadelphia HA vs nearby PA agencies

units
Source HUD PIH authorized-unit directory As of FY2025

The verdict

Philadelphia Housing Authority administers 25,063 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, the largest in PA.

25,063
authorized Section 8 vouchers
99th
percentile by size, nationally
99th
percentile in PA
25,063 Section 8 units

Philadelphia Housing Authority, based in PA, administers the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program with 25,063 authorized Section 8 units (Advisory size bracket). Waitlist status changes without much notice, so confirm directly with the agency before applying.

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

Section 8 / HCV units

25,063

Advisory bracket

Total authorized units

11,751

All programs combined

State-rank percentile

99 th

Among PA PHAs

2-BR standard range · PA

$908–$1,802 /mo

Median $966/mo · 2-BR

Section 8 / HCV share of Philadelphia Housing Authority 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 Philadelphia 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.

25,063 Top 1% higher than 99% of 2,129 voucher-running PHAs

0–10,000: 2,086 voucher-running PHAs (98%). Below this entry. 10,000–20,000: 29 voucher-running PHAs (1%). Below this entry. 20,000–30,000: 8 voucher-running PHAs (0%). This entry sits in this band. 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

What HUD's PIH Record for Philadelphia Housing Authority Tells You

HUD's PHAS system places it in the "Advisory" size bracket, which shapes reporting cadence and oversight intensity. Philadelphia Housing Authority is one of 3,780 agencies HUD tracks in its PIH Open Data directory for the Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher program operating in PA. This agency's HUD authorization runs to 25,063 Section 8 / HCV units, out of 11,751 total authorized units when every HUD program is counted.

Ranked by Section 8 unit count within PA, it sits at the 99th percentile there, ahead of 99% of PA 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 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 2156844174. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state. Across PA's 52 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard runs $908-$1,802/month (median $966); Philadelphia 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
2156844174
Fax
2156844163
Email
info@pha.phila.gov
Executive Director
Kelvin.Jeremiah@pha.phila.gov · 2156844174
How to apply at Philadelphia 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 "Philadelphia 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 PA's 52 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $908–$1,802/month (median $966). Philadelphia 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 PA

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 PA 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 Philadelphia 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.

Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Verify with HUD →