Project-Based Section 8: The Subsidy Attached to the Building
Updated · Reviewed against current HUD program rules
Unlike the mobile Housing Choice Voucher, project-based Section 8 (PBS8) ties federal rental subsidy to specific apartment buildings — private properties whose owners contracted with HUD to house low-income tenants at capped rents. Roughly 1.2 million apartments carry PBS8 contracts nationwide, and you apply to them directly rather than through a voucher waitlist.
How rents work in a PBS8 building
Tenants generally pay roughly 30% of adjusted monthly income toward rent; the HUD contract pays the owner the difference up to the approved contract rent for the unit. Because the subsidy lives with the unit, even zero-income households can be housed — the tenant share simply bottoms out at the minimum rent (usually $0–$75).
Who applies and how
Each building keeps its own waiting list and accepts applications at its management office year-round unless the list is closed. There is no central HUD application. Income limits mirror other HUD programs: at admission, households generally must be at or below 50% of Area Median Income, and PBS8 properties must rent available units to very-low-income families first.
What happens if you move
The subsidy stays with the apartment. If you leave, the next family on that building's list receives the assisted unit. Some PBS8 residents eventually convert to tenant-based vouchers through special programs, but plan as if the aid is location-locked.
Finding PBS8 apartments near you
Every property tagged “PB Section 8” in our database comes straight from HUD's Picture of Subsidized Households dataset, with unit counts, occupancy, average resident rent contributions, and reported waiting times. Start with your city page to shortlist buildings, then call each management office for its current application process.