RI · Section 8 / HCV

Section 8 housing authorities in Rhode Island

Every Public Housing Authority in Rhode Island that administers Housing Choice Vouchers, with authorized unit counts, contact details, and a multi-PHA waitlist strategy.

28
PHAs in state
11,590
Authorized HCV units
1%
of all U.S. PHAs
9,354
Total HUD units

The largest voucher programs in Rhode Island

Public Housing Authorities ranked by authorized Housing Choice Vouchers

vouchers
Source HUD PIH Public Housing Authority directory (FY2025) As of 2025
28 PHAs · 11,590 Section 8 units

Rhode Island is administered by 28 Public Housing Authorities, which together manage roughly 11,590 authorized Section 8 / HCV units. Each PHA runs its own waitlist; applying to multiple PHAs in the state is the recommended strategy.

  • 1% of all U.S. PHAs
  • RI PHA count
  • Cross-referenced with HUD FY25 Payment Standards

What HUD's PIH Record for Rhode Island Tells You

Rhode Island (RI) is administered by 28 Public Housing Authorities in HUD's PIH Open Data directory, roughly 1% of all 3,780 U.S. PHAs we track. These agencies collectively authorize 11,590 Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher units and 9,354 total units across all HUD programs (public housing, HCV, and related subsidy streams). Because the Section 8 program is federally funded but locally administered, each of these agencies maintains its own waitlist, its own admissions preferences, and its own lease-up process.

The structure of PHA coverage in Rhode Island matters for applicants. In most states, a household can live inside multiple overlapping PHA jurisdictions, a city PHA, a county PHA, and a regional or statewide authority, and can apply to every waitlist whose service area covers its address. The 28 agencies in this directory therefore represent applicant opportunities, not just administrative bodies. The per-PHA rows below show the authorized Section 8 unit count we have on file, which is a useful proxy for program scale but not a measure of current waitlist availability (HUD does not publish live waitlist status centrally).

A practical strategy for Rhode Island voucher seekers: map your address to every PHA whose jurisdiction includes you, check each agency's current waitlist status through the links below, and apply to as many open lists as you qualify for. Payment standards inside RI metros are set at 90–110% of HUD FY25 Fair Market Rent, cross-referenced in our payment standards directory, so your voucher value is metro-specific even within the same state. See the waitlist strategy guide for the multi-PHA playbook and the portability guide if you plan to move within or out of Rhode Island with an issued voucher.

PHAs in Rhode Island

Rhode Island is administered by 28 PHAs, representing 1% of all U.S. PHAs in our directory. Many regions are covered by multiple PHAs (a city PHA, a county PHA, and sometimes a regional authority), and you can apply to any whose waitlist is open and whose jurisdiction you live in or plan to move to. See our waitlist strategy guide for how to use this to your advantage.

PHA City Section 8 units Total units
Housing Authority Providence — 2,674 2,606
Rhode Island Housing — 2,010 0
Housing Authority of the City of Pawtucket — 800 819
Woonsocket Housing Authority — 740 1,246
The Housing Authority of the City of Newport — 617 825
Central Falls Housing Authority — 598 329
East Providence Housing Authority — 470 411
Cumberland Housing Authority — 384 176
Warwick Housing Authority — 349 519
East Greenwich Housing Authority — 292 28
Coventry Housing Authority — 282 195
Bristol Housing Authority — 273 221
North Providence Housing Authority — 272 152
Cranston Housing Authority — 262 614
Warren Housing Authority — 224 153
Johnston Housing Authority — 209 150
Town of Westerly Housing Authority — 198 123
Narragansett Housing Authority — 186 9
South Kingstown Housing Authority — 142 70
Lincoln Housing Authority — 133 252
West Warwick Housing Authority — 122 250
Burrillville Housing Authority — 88 76
Gateway Healthcare, Inc. — 75 0
Kent County Mental Health Center — 75 0
Tiverton Housing Authority — 59 45
Smithfield Housing Authority — 56 50
Jamestown Housing Authority — 0 35
Portsmouth Housing Authority — 0 0

Applying in Rhode Island

The Section 8 / HCV application process is federally standardized, but each PHA in Rhode Island runs its own waitlist, its own preferences, and its own application channel. See our step-by-step guide:

Nearby states

Portability lets you move a voucher across state lines. States adjacent to Rhode Island in our directory:

Compare states and PHAs side by side →

Source: HUD PIH Open Data (FY25). Payment standards: HUD USER FY25 FMR. Last compiled April 2026. PlainVoucher is not affiliated with HUD, the State of Rhode Island, or any local PHA. Verify with HUD →. See our methodology for how we compile this directory.

⚠ Disclaimer. This is general information about Section 8 / HCV administration in Rhode Island. Waitlist status, eligibility, and local preferences are set by each PHA and change frequently. Always contact the specific PHA directly.

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