Town of Amherst, Section 8 / HCV PHA Profile
Town of Amherst administers federal Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance, NY, with 5,695 authorized HCV units. Contact details, payment-standard reference, and nearby PHAs to broaden your waitlist strategy.
How this PHA compares nearby
Authorized HCV units · Town of Amherst vs nearby NY agencies
- This PHA
Town of Amherst (this PHA)
5,695 units
- City of Buffalo
City of Buffalo
5,329 units
- The Municipal Hsng Authority City Yonkers
The Municipal Hsng Authority City Yonkers
5,133 units
- Albany HA
Albany Housing Authority
4,281 units
- Syracuse HA
Syracuse Housing Authority
4,244 units
- Troy HA 2,123
Troy Housing Authority
2,123 units
The verdict
Town of Amherst administers 5,695 authorized Housing Choice Vouchers - among the largest Section 8 agencies in the country, larger than 97% of NY agencies.
- 5,695
- authorized Section 8 vouchers
- 98th
- percentile by size, nationally
- 97th
- percentile in NY
Town of Amherst, based in NY, administers the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program with 5,695 authorized Section 8 units. Waitlist status changes without much notice, so confirm directly with the agency before applying.
- 97th percentile by unit count in NY
Section 8 / HCV units
5,695
HUD-authorized
Total authorized units
-
All programs combined
State-rank percentile
97 th
Among NY PHAs
2-BR standard range · NY
$933–$2,586 /mo
Median $1,159/mo · 2-BR
Compared to nationwide HUD median of 62%, PHAs with high HCV share typically focus on tenant-based assistance over project-based public housing.
Where Town of Amherst 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.
5,695 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Town of Amherst: What the HUD Directory Shows
Town of Amherst appears in HUD's Public and Indian Housing (PIH) Open Data set, one of 3,780 Public Housing Authorities nationwide running the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program alongside every other agency in NY. HUD authorizes 5,695 Section 8 / HCV units for this agency.
By Section 8 unit count among NY agencies, it lands at the 97th percentile, larger than 97% of its in-state peers. HUD logs its program type as "Section 8," which determines which voucher streams (regular HCV, VASH, Family Unification, Mainstream, or project-based conversions) it can run. The federal rulebook lets every PHA set its own waitlist rules, admissions plan, and local preferences, so this authorized-unit total is best read as a program cap, not a live vacancy count.
Across NY's 39 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard runs $933-$2,586/month (median $1,159); Town of Amherst 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 7168847791. Use the nearby-PHA list below to broaden your waitlist strategy across the state.
Contact this PHA
- Phone
- 7168847791
- Fax
- 7168848026
- bpackard@belmonthousingwny.org
- Executive Director
- mriegel@belmonthousingwny.org · 7168847791
How to apply at Town of Amherst
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 "Town of Amherst 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 NY's 39 HUD FMR areas, the FY2025 2-bedroom payment standard ranges $933–$2,586/month (median $1,159). Town of Amherst 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 NY
If this PHA's waitlist is closed, applying to additional PHAs in the same region is a recommended strategy. Other PHAs nearby:
- City of Buffalo · 5,329 units
- The Municipal Hsng Authority City Yonkers · 5,133 units
- Albany Housing Authority · 4,281 units
- Syracuse Housing Authority · 4,244 units
- Troy Housing Authority · 2,123 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 Town of Amherst. 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.