Public housing in Massachusetts
Data from November 2026
Public housing agencies in Massachusetts
130 public housing agencies administer 102,854 Section 8 vouchers and 29,733 public housing units in Massachusetts. Each one takes applications and runs its own waiting list.
Key numbers in Massachusetts
- Agencies
- 130
- take applications and keep their own waiting lists
- Section 8 vouchers
- 102,854
- total they manage, not openings
- Public housing units
- 29,733
- total they manage, not openings
How it works
How they work
There are two main kinds of help: the voucher to rent in the private market and public housing. You apply for both at the agency for your area in Massachusetts.
- Step 1
Section 8 (Housing Choice Vouchers)
The family finds a home on the private market. The agency pays part of the rent directly to the landlord and the family pays the difference.
- Step 2
Public housing
Homes the agency itself manages. Rent is set from the family’s income.
- Step 3
How to apply
Apply at the agency for your area. They check income and family size, and may close their waiting list when it is full: ask whether it is open and how long it takes.
According to HUD: Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)· HUD: public housing program
Mixed-status families Section 8 and mixed-status families: how it works How the Section 8 voucher works, how aid is prorated in a mixed-status family, how to apply through your housing agency and what HUD proposed. Read the guideHUD’s list
Every agency in Massachusetts
Largest first. Search by name or county.
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Boston Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Suffolk County
17,760 vouchers · 8,274 public housing units
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Cambridge Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
7,602 vouchers · 52 public housing units
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Worcester Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Worcester County
3,700 vouchers · 2,410 public housing units
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Springfield Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Hampden County
3,463 vouchers · 1,753 public housing units
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Fall River Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Bristol County
2,494 vouchers · 2,023 public housing units
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New Bedford Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Bristol County
1,932 vouchers · 1,744 public housing units
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Brockton Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Plymouth County
1,946 vouchers · 1,622 public housing units
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Lowell Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
1,405 vouchers · 1,621 public housing units
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Holyoke Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Hampden County
1,918 vouchers · 754 public housing units
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Quincy Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Norfolk County
2,356 vouchers · 40 public housing units
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Malden Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
983 vouchers · 1,185 public housing units
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Lawrence Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Essex County
1,031 vouchers · 1,050 public housing units
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Lynn Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Essex County
1,571 vouchers · 455 public housing units
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Somerville Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
1,369 vouchers · 583 public housing units
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Taunton Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Bristol County
1,190 vouchers · 564 public housing units
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Medford Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
1,194 vouchers · 497 public housing units
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Brookline Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Norfolk County
1,420 vouchers · 139 public housing units
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Salem Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Essex County
1,387 vouchers · 39 public housing units
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Framingham Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
1,065 vouchers · 167 public housing units
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Northampton Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Hampshire County
867 vouchers · 109 public housing units
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Chelsea Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Suffolk County
609 vouchers · 352 public housing units
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Chicopee Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Hampden County
574 vouchers · 383 public housing units
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Plymouth Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Plymouth County
740 vouchers · 30 public housing units
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Gloucester Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Essex County
660 vouchers · 89 public housing units
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Pittsfield Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Berkshire County
585 vouchers · 163 public housing units
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Newton Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
446 vouchers · 298 public housing units
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Falmouth Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Barnstable County
505 vouchers · 222 public housing units
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Waltham Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
455 vouchers · 265 public housing units
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Revere Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Suffolk County
491 vouchers · 194 public housing units
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Milford Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Worcester County
567 vouchers · 65 public housing units
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Barnstable Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Barnstable County
549 vouchers · 68 public housing units
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Methuen Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Essex County
569 vouchers · 42 public housing units
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Beverly Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Essex County
441 vouchers · 168 public housing units
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North Adams Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Berkshire County
389 vouchers · 208 public housing units
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Amherst Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Hampshire County
444 vouchers · 15 public housing units
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Norwood Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Norfolk County
345 vouchers · 96 public housing units
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Wakefield Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
378 vouchers · 40 public housing units
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Woburn Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
292 vouchers · 100 public housing units
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Weymouth Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Norfolk County
229 vouchers · 70 public housing units
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Fitchburg Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Worcester County
227 vouchers · 53 public housing units
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Shrewsbury Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Worcester County
177 vouchers · 99 public housing units
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Needham Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Norfolk County
123 vouchers · 136 public housing units
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Saugus Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Essex County
154 vouchers · 100 public housing units
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North Andover Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Essex County
137 vouchers · 105 public housing units
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Danvers Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Essex County
149 vouchers · 76 public housing units
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Wayland Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
81 vouchers · 136 public housing units
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Rockland Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Plymouth County
157 vouchers · 40 public housing units
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Winchendon Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Worcester County
49 vouchers · 131 public housing units
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Hudson Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
72 vouchers · 92 public housing units
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Tewksbury Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
113 vouchers · 50 public housing units
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Lexington Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
88 vouchers · 60 public housing units
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Bourne Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Barnstable County
79 vouchers · 56 public housing units
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Pembroke Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Plymouth County
86 vouchers · 49 public housing units
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Dracut Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Middlesex County
71 vouchers · 44 public housing units
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Webster Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Worcester County
47 vouchers · 61 public housing units
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Stoughton Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Norfolk County
51 vouchers · 40 public housing units
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Hanson Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Plymouth County
34 vouchers · 6 public housing units
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None match your search.
HUD’s official list exactly as published, retrieved November 6, 2026. Vouchers and units are totals each agency administers, not vacancies. Source: Public Housing Agencies (HUD) Retrieved November 6, 2026 Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (external site)
Frequently asked questions
What is a Section 8 voucher?
A Housing Choice Voucher from HUD’s federal program: the family rents on the private market and the housing agency pays part of the rent to the landlord. The family pays the difference.
How do I apply for a voucher or public housing in Massachusetts?
At the housing agency for your area; Massachusetts has 130. Each one has its own application and waiting list, and may close it when it is full. Call or check its site to see whether it is open.
How many Section 8 vouchers are there in Massachusetts?
The agencies in Massachusetts administer 102,854 Section 8 vouchers and 29,733 public housing units, according to HUD’s list retrieved November 6, 2026. They are program totals, not available vacancies.