Section 8 Waiting Lists Opening the Week of October 5, 2026

October kicks off with a front-loaded week: ten housing authorities open lists, with seven of them opening on Monday alone, then a lighter spread midweek. The openings span Georgia, New York, South Carolina, Florida, California, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Michigan, and Texas. Monday leans heavily toward Project-Based Vouchers—six of the seven—while the later days shift to portable Housing Choice Vouchers. Every authority this week has a website on file, so it's a clean stretch despite the busy start.

Here's the rundown.

Housing Authority of Fulton County — Fulton County, Georgia

Fulton County opens a Project-Based Voucher list on Monday, October 5, with applications online at hafc.org.

Fulton County covers much of metro Atlanta, including parts of the city and its northern and southern suburbs—a large, high-demand market. As a Project-Based Voucher, the assistance ties to specific developments in exchange for typically shorter waits than the HCV lists. Given the size of the market, apply early Monday and check which properties are included.

Town of Ramapo Housing Authority — Ramapo, New York

Ramapo opens a Project-Based Voucher list on Monday, October 5, with applications online at ramapohousing.org.

Ramapo is in Rockland County, northwest of New York City—a suburban area with real housing pressure and commuter access to the metro. Because this is a Project-Based Voucher, the housing is tied to specific properties; worth calling to ask about locations and unit sizes before you apply.

Housing Authority of the City of Columbia — Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia opens a Project-Based Voucher list on Monday, October 5, with applications online at columbiahousingsc.org.

Columbia is South Carolina's capital and home to the University of South Carolina, a steady midsize market in the center of the state. As a PBV, assistance stays with specific developments rather than moving with you. Ask which properties and unit sizes are available before applying, and get your application in early Monday.

Housing Authority of the City of St. Petersburg — St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg opens a Project-Based Voucher list on Monday, October 5, with applications online at stpeteha.org.

St. Pete sits on the Gulf side of the Tampa Bay metro, a high-demand coastal market where rents have climbed. A Project-Based Voucher here is a meaningful opportunity precisely because the market is tight—the tradeoff being that housing is tied to specific properties. Apply early Monday and check the included developments.

Housing Authority of the City of Garden Grove — Garden Grove, California

Garden Grove opens a Project-Based Voucher list on Monday, October 5, with applications online at ci.garden-grove.ca.us.

Garden Grove is in the heart of Orange County, part of one of the tightest and most expensive rental markets in the country. A PBV here carries real weight given how hard the open market is to crack. Expect strong demand; apply early Monday and ask which properties are part of the program.

Arlington County Department of Human Services — Arlington County, Virginia

Arlington opens a Housing Choice Voucher list on Monday, October 5, with applications online at arlingtonva.us.

This is Monday's lone portable voucher and one of the higher-demand openings of the week. Arlington sits directly across the Potomac from Washington, DC—one of the most expensive housing markets in the region—so a portable voucher goes far here, letting you choose your own housing and pay roughly 30% of your income toward rent. Apply early given the market.

Housing Authority of St. Mary's County — St. Mary's County, Maryland

St. Mary's County opens a Project-Based Voucher list on Monday, October 5, with applications online at stmaryshousing.org.

St. Mary's is in southern Maryland, anchored by the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, which shapes the local economy and rental market. As a Project-Based Voucher, the housing ties to specific developments; worth asking about locations and unit sizes before you apply.

Hancock Metropolitan Housing Authority — Hancock County, Ohio

Hancock County opens a Housing Choice Voucher list on Wednesday, October 7, with applications online at hancockmetro.com.

Hancock County is in northwest Ohio, centered on Findlay, a small city with a stable, employer-anchored economy. The portable voucher gives you flexibility across the county, and smaller markets like this tend to draw lighter competition than the metros.

Sterling Heights Housing Commission — Sterling Heights, Michigan

Sterling Heights opens a Housing Choice Voucher list on Wednesday, October 7, with applications online at sterling-heights.net.

Sterling Heights is one of metro Detroit's larger suburbs, north of the city in Macomb County. The portable voucher lets you choose housing across the area, a real advantage in a spread-out metro with many communities and employment centers. Moderate demand expected; apply early Wednesday.

Harlingen Housing Authority — Harlingen, Texas

Harlingen closes out the week with a Housing Choice Voucher list opening Thursday, October 8, with applications online at harlingen-ha.com.

Harlingen has opened several times this year across both programs, so confirm this is a new HCV intake if you've applied recently. It's in the Rio Grande Valley of deep South Texas, a warm-climate region with a trade- and agriculture-based economy. The portable voucher gives you flexibility across the Valley, and with a few days' gap after Monday's rush, it's a calmer one to prepare for.

What to Have Ready

The core documentation is the same everywhere, so pull it together before Monday: photo ID and Social Security cards for each household member, birth certificates, recent pay stubs and any benefits statements (SSI, SSDI, TANF, unemployment), two to three months of bank statements, and your current household and contact details. For the Housing Choice Voucher openings—Arlington, Hancock County, Sterling Heights, and Harlingen—have your rental history and current landlord's contact information ready as well.

Bottom Line

Ten lists with the weight on Monday, so the smart move is having everything ready before the week starts rather than catching up as it goes. The tight-market plays are where a voucher goes furthest: Arlington's portable voucher near DC, and the Project-Based lists in Garden Grove, St. Petersburg, and Fulton County. Monday's six PBV openings reward applicants who've checked the included properties in advance, so do that homework over the weekend. Everything carries a website this week, which keeps it smooth—just steady, on-time applications as each list opens, with Wednesday and Thursday offering a calmer finish after the Monday push.