How Do I Apply For Section 8 Housing Voucher

How to Apply for Section 8

Applying for Section 8

The Providence Housing Authority (PHA) Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) waiting list opened June 6, 2019. It will remain open until further notice.

Joining the Centralized Waiting List

You may apply to Rhode Island's Section 8 Centralized Waiting List by visiting www.waitlist-centralri.com to submit an application for the PHA and all of the other Housing Authorities in Rhode Island that may have an open Section 8 waiting list. There are numerous benefits to registering for a free account with the Centralized Waiting List including:

Access to Housing Choice Vouchers available throughout the State
Ability to save your application at any time and complete at a later date
Easily updating your information to receive notices (note: make sure to update both your email and mailing addresses to receive all updates to your account).
Checking your wait list status for multiple cities and towns in one location.

Apply Here

Income Limits and Preferences

HUD sets the annual program income limits based on the area's median income level. The 2020 limits are below.

Program	Limit Level	Persons in Household
Median Income (AMI): $87,00		1	2	3	4	5	6
Section 8 & Project Based Limit	Very Low (50% AMI)	$30,450	$34,800	$39,150	$43,500	$47,000	$50,500

Learn about our preferences.

Currently on the PHA Waiting List?

If you are already on the Section 8 Waiting List, it is important to update us with your current address and contact information as changes arise. If the PHA is unable to contact you to provide notices about the Waiting List, your name will be removed. All updates and changes to your information should be made online through the Central Wait List online portal, which Rhode Island Housing (RIHousing) administers. For assistance logging in to the site, please call RIHousing at (844) 459-3600.

If you need to update your information on the Public Housing list or with our project based assistance programs, please email waitlist@provhousing.org.

Don't have a computer or internet access and not sure where to go?

Visit one of the locations below for computer/internet access.

Providence Community Libraries

RI's Centralized Wait List

central wait list — Managed by RIHousing, the Central Wait List can be found at https://www.waitlist-centralri.com/. Check off Providence to be added to the PHA's Section 8 Wait List.

Special Programs

The PHA offers several special programs that fall under our Section 8 program in Leased Housing.

Emergency Housing Vouchers

The Providence Housing Authority (PHA) has been issued 42 emergency housing vouchers by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in July of 2021.

The PHA is accepting direct referrals from the Rhode Island Continuum of Care (CoC) for EHV eligible populations listed below. If an individual or family believed they may be eligible for EHV assistance they may contact the CoC using one of the two following webforms:

English Emergency Housing Voucher Webform

En Espanol Formulario del Programa de Vales de Elección de Vivienda

EHV Eligible Population

In order to be eligible for an EHV, an individual or family must meet one of four eligibility categories:

Homeless
At risk of homelessness
Fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking
Recently homeless and for whom providing rental assistance will prevent the family's homelessness or having high risk of housing instability.

In accordance with HUD guidelines, the PHA is not accepting applications directly for the EHV program and will not be selecting participants off of its HCV waiting list.

Project-Based Rental Assistance – As of October 1, 2020 this Wait List is closed until further notice.

The PHA's Leased Housing department contracts with private property owners to rent some or all of the units in their housing developments to eligible low-income families. In spring of 2020, the PHA transitioned to an online based application system for its public housing and project based rental assistance programs.

PHA has awarded project based rental contracts to property owners across the City of Providence. Each site is listed below. Please note that as of October 1, 2020 the online application for all project based units was closed. Applications made directly to any individual property will not be eligible for a project based unit.

Development	# Units	Location	Neighborhood
Crossroads RI Family Housing	21	Cranston, Linwood, Lidia, Steuben, Webster & Updike St.	West End
Elmwood Commons	30	Ontario & Warrington St.	Elmwood
Elmwood Neighborhood Revitalization II	9	Congress, Elmwood, Mawney, Moore & Broad St.	Elmwood
Fairfield Sutterfield Apartments	60	Admiral, East, General, Middle, South & Phebe St.	Wanskuk
Maplewoods	7	Huber Ave.	Manton
Open Doors	19	Plainfield St.	Silver Lake
Smith Hill Visions	6	Bernon, Goddard, Mansfield & Wayne St.	Smith Hill
University Heights	21	Nicholas Brown Yard	College Hill

Veteran's Supportive Housing

The Veteran's Supportive Housing (VASH) Program is a joint effort between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Veterans Administration (VA). VASH allocates vouchers to housing authorities, like the PHA, for veterans and their families to live in market rate rental units with the VA provides case management services. The PHA has received an allotment of VASH vouchers annually since 2008 and currently administers 209 throughout the State.

To learn more about the VASH program, visit the VA's website.

To apply for a VASH unit, veterans must contact the VA at 401-265-4114 for eligibility criteria and application process. The VA determines eligibility for the program and the type of unit received.

The PHA also provides project-based assistance for veterans through the VASH program at the following locations:

Veteran's for Tomorrow (20 units) – 115 Douglas Ave. Providence, RI 02904
Sgt. Belanger Housing (11 units) – 963 Chalkstone Ave. Providence, RI 02908

Sgt. Belanger Housing – 963 Chalkstone Avenue

Veterans for Tomorrow – 1115 Douglas Avenue