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Chicago Housing Authority
Official application routes, service-area details, contact information, and HUD-reported program data for this Chicago housing agency.
Independent directory: CalculateBenefits is not CHA or HUD. Recorded source-check date for the agency-specific details below: 2026-11-02.
Is the Chicago Section 8 waiting list open?
As of Nov. 2, 2026, CHA's website said the list was closed.
Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
Closed
What the agency's site said on Nov. 2, 2026. See the notice →
Public housing
Open — limited Some applicants only (year-round)
What the agency's site said on Nov. 2, 2026. See the notice →
Waiting lists open and close without much notice. Applying is free; only CHA can take an application or tell you your place on a list.
Start with the official agency
Visit the official CHA website →
Housing applications and waiting-list registration are free. A third party cannot guarantee approval or move you ahead on a waiting list.
What this agency serves
The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) provides homes to over 65,000 households across the city of Chicago.
- Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
- Public housing
- Project-Based Vouchers (PBV)
- Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)
Housing Choice Voucher application
CHA takes voucher applications only during set periods. When it does, CHA makes public announcements and households can enter a waitlist lottery. Applications go through the CHA Waitlist Portal.
What CHA said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check CHA's official site or call for the current status.
Public housing application
You apply for public housing and project-based voucher waitlists through the CHA Waitlist Portal. Each type of CHA housing has its own waitlist, so you can apply to more than one.
What CHA said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check CHA's official site or call for the current status.
Income limits for Cook County
HUD fiscal year 2026 limits (pulled July 27, 2026) for Cook County, where CHA's main office is.
| Household | 30% (extremely low) | 50% (very low) | 80% (low) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $25,550 | $42,550 | $68,050 |
| 2 people | $29,200 | $48,600 | $77,800 |
| 3 people | $32,850 | $54,700 | $87,500 |
| 4 people | $36,450 | $60,750 | $97,200 |
Section 8 vouchers generally use the 50% limit, and agencies must give most new vouchers to families at or below 30%; families up to 50% can still qualify. The 80% limit applies to public housing.
Source: HUD income limits. Check 5 to 8 people or another county →
Other help in Chicago
Heat and utility bills
CEDA (Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County) LIHEAP · (800) 571-2332
Illinois' state agency says Chicago residents get LIHEAP utility bill help through CEDA. Call the hotline or use CEDA's site to find an intake site near you.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Food
Greater Chicago Food Depository · 773-247-3663
Chicago's food bank. Use its map to find free groceries or meals at pantries across Chicago and Cook County. No ID is required at most sites.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Facing eviction
Legal Aid Chicago · 312-341-1070
Free civil legal help for people living in poverty in Cook County, including housing and eviction problems. You must call the Client Screening Unit to register.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Everything else
Free help line for Chicago and suburban Cook County, available 24/7. Dial 2-1-1 or text your ZIP code to 898-211 to find local help.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
These are separate organizations, not CHA and not CalculateBenefits.
Contact CHA before you visit
General inquiries: 312-742-8500
Central office: 60 E. Van Buren Street, Chicago, IL 60605
Housing Choice Voucher line: 312.935.2600
For help with an application, you can visit the CHA Client Center at 60 E. Van Buren Street or call 312-742-8500. Voucher questions go to the HCV Customer Call Center at 312.935.2600 (TTY: 312.461.0079). Voucher holders with a disability can ask for a reasonable accommodation, such as large print or more time to turn in papers.
CHA offers free translation and interpretation. Call (312) 742-8500 or email chala@thecha.org.
From CalculateBenefits, not CHA
Waiting-list news by email
Get our free emails. If this agency's main Section 8 waiting list opens and we see it, we email the people who signed up here. Some lists close before we can send. To sign up, you take our free benefits check. You give your name and email and answer a few questions. A phone step is optional. Then you see offers from partners. Your information may be shared with or sold to marketing partners. They may also contact you (how we use it). Signing up does not apply for housing or put you on any waiting list.
Because you've turned on a privacy opt-out, we don't offer this sign-up here. Check the agency's own site for openings.
Before and after you apply
- CHA does not check your documents when you apply. It asks for them when you reach the top of a waitlist and a unit of your size becomes available.
- Most CHA waitlists are years long, often 10 years or more.
- At screening, CHA checks your background, credit, rental history and income.
- CHA gives waitlist preferences to some groups, such as veterans, people with disabilities, and people who are homeless.
- If you owe money to CHA or another housing program, you must pay it back before CHA can approve you.
HUD-reported assistance
These figures are HUD reporting-data snapshots, not a count of openings. Equal inventory and occupied counts do not prove that no future opening is possible. Waiting-list status comes from CHA, not this dataset.
HUD public housing designation: Advisory. Advisory means HUD issued the score for informational purposes rather than as a binding final performance designation, such as during a transition or waiver period. Treat it as historical context and confirm the agency's current status.
HUD directory dataset retrieved 2026-07-20; record last updated 2026-04-07. Read the data methods and limitations.
Agency and data sources
Related: All Illinois housing agencies · Illinois income limits and Fair Market Rents · How Housing Choice Vouchers work · Section 8 waiting lists at large agencies.