HUD PIH FY25 directory WA · Section 8 / HCV 12,611 HCV units Advisory bracket 99th percentile in WA

Seattle Housing Authority, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile

Seattle Housing Authority administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, WA, with 12,611 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 · Seattle HA vs nearby WA agencies

units
Source HUD PIH authorized-unit directory As of FY2025

The verdict

Seattle Housing Authority administers 12,611 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, the largest in WA.

12,611
authorized Section 8 vouchers
99th
percentile by size, nationally
99th
percentile in WA
12,611 Section 8 units

Seattle Housing Authority is a Public Housing Authority in WA administering Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers with 12,611 authorized Section 8 units (Advisory size bracket). Contact this PHA directly to check waitlist status and request an application.

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

Section 8 / HCV units

12,611

Advisory bracket

Total authorized units

6,154

All programs combined

State-rank percentile

99 th

Among WA PHAs

2-BR standard range · WA

$933–$2,671 /mo

Median $1,257/mo · 2-BR

Section 8 / HCV share of Seattle 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 Seattle 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.

12,611 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%). This entry sits in this band. 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 Seattle Housing Authority

HUD authorizes 12,611 Section 8 / HCV units for this agency, against 6,154 total authorized units across every HUD program combined. That count sits inside HUD's national PIH roster of 3,780 Section 8 agencies, WA's share of the total, where Seattle Housing Authority is listed as an active administering entity. HUD's PHAS system places it in the "Advisory" size bracket, which shapes reporting cadence and oversight intensity.

Ranked by Section 8 unit count within WA, it sits at the 99th percentile there, ahead of 99% of WA PHAs by that measure. 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. 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 WA's 35 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard runs $933-$2,671/month (median $1,257); Seattle 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. its main line is 2066153300. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state.

Contact this PHA

Phone
2066153300
Fax
2066153504
Email
execdirector@seattlehousing.org
Executive Director
rod.brandon@seattlehousing.org · 2066153510
How to apply at Seattle 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 "Seattle 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 WA's 35 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $933–$2,671/month (median $1,257). Seattle 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 WA

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 WA 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 Seattle 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 →