Texas Section 8 2026: Income Limits and Wait Lists

A Section 8 voucher isn't a grant and isn't paid to you: the housing authority pays part of your rent to the landlord. Applying is free. Texas has no statewide list, so you apply to the housing authority for your city, or to TDHCA in the counties it covers. The Section 8 housing guide covers the federal rules all of these agencies follow.

Texas Section 8 Income Limits for 2026 by Metro

Texas has 215 HUD income limit areas, more than any other state in this series, because most of its 254 counties are rural and get their own limits. According to HUD's FY2026 income limits file, these very low income (50%) limits decide who can get on a voucher list in the five biggest metros:

At least 75% of each year's new vouchers must go to households under the extremely low income (30%) limits below:

These Texas tables come from HUD's FY2026 income limits (opens in a new tab), in effect from May 1, 2026, using Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis counties. Each metro includes surrounding counties; Collin and Denton are in the Dallas area. Check any other Texas county in HUD's FY2026 income limits lookup (opens in a new tab).

Border cities, West Texas and rural counties

Outside the five big metros, many Texas limits bunch at one number. These 4-person limits come from the same HUD file:

Grantsights analysis of the file found 112 of Texas's 254 counties, including El Paso, Corpus Christi, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley, share the same $41,850 four-person limit. Half of Hidalgo County's $64,000 median would be $32,000, so the Valley's limit sits well above simple 50% math; HUD applies a statewide minimum in lower-income areas.

Where the 30% table repeats $33,000, $38,680 and up, the federal poverty guideline has taken over, because the 30% limit can't drop below it. Grantsights analysis of HUD's FY2026 file found that floor sets the 4-person extremely low income limit in 234 of Texas's 254 counties. For the method behind the limits, see the HUD income limits guide.

How the Voucher Splits Rent in Texas

Texas voucher holders usually pay 30% of adjusted monthly income toward rent and utilities, and the housing authority pays the rest up to its payment standard. HUD's Housing Choice Voucher tenant page (opens in a new tab) says a minimum rent, where an agency sets one, is "typically between $25 and $50 per month."

Payment standards are set by each Texas authority at 90% to 110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent (FMR). The 2-bedroom FMRs for the five big metros:

Sources: HUD FY2026 and FY2027 FMR files; the change column is a Grantsights calculation. According to HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent notice (opens in a new tab), the FY2027 rents took effect October 1, 2026.

Fort Worth Housing Solutions links its "2026 Fair Market Rent Payment Standards" from its voucher page; the other Texas pages checked didn't print a dollar standard in their text. Ask your authority for the schedule by bedroom size before you start searching.

Rules every Texas voucher follows:

• 40% at move-in. If the unit costs more than the payment standard, your share can't exceed 40% of adjusted monthly income when you first lease it.
• 75% targeting. Three of every four new admissions must be extremely low income.
• Local preferences. Each authority sets preferences in its administrative plan, and they can matter more than when you applied.

Texas Section 8 Waiting Lists: Status on November 12, 2026

Only 1 of the six Texas voucher programs checked was clearly taking applications on November 12, 2026: Dallas. Here's what each agency's own page said:

Dallas's model is unusual. DHA says that "as voucher funds become available, DHA will run a lottery" to pick applicants, then emails them to complete a full application. Because applications expire after 18 months, a Dallas applicant who isn't drawn has to apply again. DHA also asks applicants to use the same email for RentCafe and Bob.ai so records stay linked.

How to Apply for Section 8 in Texas

Texas renters may have 2 or 3 lists in reach, since Dallas, Fort Worth and smaller city authorities overlap within one metro. Each is separate.

1. Name your local authority. HUD's public housing agency contact list (opens in a new tab) lists every Texas agency, including TDHCA for its counties.
2. Apply where a list is open. In Dallas, that means a RentCafe preliminary application, which DHA says takes about 20 minutes and needs an email address, household names and ages, and annual income.
3. Watch the others. Opportunity Home says openings are "advertised on our home page," and Austin's authority says the same of its website.
4. Claim preferences that fit you, such as homelessness, disability, veteran status or local residency.
5. Keep your contact details current. San Antonio warns that if it can't reach you, you'll be removed from the waitlist. Fort Worth applicants change addresses through the Applicant Portal; Austin applicants use haca.myhousing.com.
6. When selected, you'll verify income and household, attend a briefing and get a voucher with a deadline to find a unit.

The Grantsights eligibility checker can list official programs worth a look while you wait. It doesn't decide eligibility or put you on a list.

Worked Examples: What You'd Pay in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio

These are hypothetical, and they skip deductions for dependents, child care and medical costs, which would lower each share a little.

For example, one applicant in Houston, a parent with two kids earning $2,400 a month, would pay about $720 (30% of $2,400). If the local payment standard equaled HUD's FY2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,573, the voucher could pay up to $853 on a unit renting at that level. The 40% move-in cap would be $960, so the family could lease up to about $1,813 the first time.

A family of four earning $56,000 a year lands on different sides of the line inside one metroplex. In Tarrant County it's $850 over the Fort Worth-Arlington limit of $55,150 and can't qualify. Move to Dallas County and it's $4,550 under the $60,550 Dallas limit.

A widow living alone in San Antonio on $1,100 a month would pay about $330. Her $13,200 a year is well under the San Antonio area's 30% limit of $21,150 for one person, which puts her in the group that gets most new vouchers.

What HUD Doesn't Tell You About Section 8 in Texas

Grantsights analysis of HUD's FY2026 income limits, both years of Fair Market Rents and the Texas housing authority pages found 5 things that aren't on the federal summary:

1. Texas limits are plain 50% math. In all five big metros, the FY2026 4-person very low income limit is exactly half the median family income HUD lists ($52,000 of $104,000 in Houston; $67,200 of $134,400 in Austin). There's no high-rent boost like the ones in New York City or Miami.
2. Dallas and Houston FMRs fell. The 2-bedroom FMR dropped 6.4% in Dallas ($1,931 to $1,807) and 4.8% in Houston ($1,573 to $1,497) for FY2027. A lower FMR can lead to a lower payment standard for new voucher holders.
3. "Open" doesn't mean "served." Dallas takes applications year-round, but selection is a lottery run only when money is available, and applications expire after 18 months.
4. Waits are long. Opportunity Home's own apply page gives voucher waits of "up to 4 years" in one place and "two to seven years" in another.
5. Porting has a residency catch. If you didn't live in the issuing authority's area when you applied, HUD rules usually make you lease there for 12 months before moving the voucher.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

A common mistake in Texas is letting a Dallas preliminary application lapse. It lasts up to 18 months, so set a reminder to reapply if you haven't been drawn.

Other Texas mistakes:

• Assuming TDHCA covers your city. It serves only its 34-county area.
• Using net pay instead of gross household income.
• Using the Dallas limit in Fort Worth ($60,550 versus $55,150 for four).
• Missing contact from the authority after a phone or email change.
• Underestimating the wait and skipping other help.

Red flags for scams: Texas voucher applications are free, so avoid any site that asks for money. Watch for:

• Sites selling "Texas Section 8 lottery" sign-ups or guaranteed vouchers.
• Calls, texts or Facebook messages saying you've been "approved" and must pay a fee.
• Pages that copy an authority's look but use a different web address.

The FTC's Section 8 scam alert (opens in a new tab) explains how fake waitlist sites take fees. To check a list is real, find the authority in HUD's contact list and type its address yourself.

Other Help for Texans While You Wait

If your household earns under the 30% lines above (for example, $28,100 for three in the Houston area), other Texas programs may help sooner. For utility bills, see the Texas energy assistance (CEAP) guide. Food help is in the Texas food stamps guide and the Texas WIC income limits guide, and health coverage in the Texas Medicaid income limits guide. For back rent, see the rental assistance programs guide. If you've lost work, the Texas unemployment benefits guide covers weekly amounts.

Comparing with other Sun Belt states? The Florida Section 8 guide and the North Carolina Section 8 guide cover their largest cities.

FAQ: Texas Section 8

What's the Section 8 income limit for one person in Austin? $47,050 at the 50% level and $28,250 at the 30% level under HUD's FY2026 limits.

Can I apply in Dallas if I live in Houston? Yes, but if you weren't living in DHA's area when you applied, you'll usually need to lease there for 12 months before porting elsewhere.

How will Dallas contact me? By email when you're drawn in a lottery, according to DHA's how-to-apply page, so check your inbox and spam folder.

Why do El Paso, Laredo and McAllen share one income limit? HUD's FY2026 file gives all three, and 109 other Texas counties, a $41,850 limit for a family of four, because their local medians are low enough that HUD's statewide minimum applies instead of half the local median.

Does Fort Worth Housing Solutions handle voucher transfers from other cities? Yes. Its portability line is 817-333-3605.

Sources

• HUD USER: Texas county income limits (opens in a new tab) and the FY2026 county lookup (opens in a new tab)
• HUD USER: Fair Market Rent data (opens in a new tab), FY2026 and FY2027
• HUD: FY2027 Fair Market Rent notice (opens in a new tab)
• HUD: voucher tenant page (opens in a new tab) and agency contact list (opens in a new tab)
• TDHCA Housing Choice Voucher program (opens in a new tab)
• DHA Housing Solutions, how to apply (opens in a new tab)
• Fort Worth Housing Solutions, Housing Choice Voucher (opens in a new tab)
• Opportunity Home San Antonio, apply for housing (opens in a new tab)
• Housing Authority of the City of Austin, waitlist status (opens in a new tab)
• FTC: Section 8 scam alert (opens in a new tab)

Texas figures checked November 12, 2026.