Public housing in Virginia
Data from November 2026
Public housing agencies in Virginia
41 public housing agencies administer 61,457 Section 8 vouchers and 13,021 public housing units in Virginia. Each one takes applications and runs its own waiting list.
Key numbers in Virginia
- Agencies
- 41
- take applications and keep their own waiting lists
- Section 8 vouchers
- 61,457
- total they manage, not openings
- Public housing units
- 13,021
- 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 Virginia.
- 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 Virginia
Largest first. Search by name or county.
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Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Richmond
4,367 vouchers · 3,212 public housing units
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Norfolk Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Norfolk
5,464 vouchers · 2,048 public housing units
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Fairfax County Redevelopment & Hsg Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Fairfax County
5,329 vouchers
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Newport News Redevelopment & Housng Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Newport News
3,125 vouchers · 797 public housing units
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Roanoke Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Roanoke
2,362 vouchers · 1,277 public housing units
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Hampton Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Hampton
3,259 vouchers · 289 public housing units
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Portsmouth Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Portsmouth
2,719 vouchers · 563 public housing units
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Alexandria Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Alexandria
2,484 vouchers · 692 public housing units
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Danville Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Danville
1,772 vouchers · 539 public housing units
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Chesapeake Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Chesapeake
2,011 vouchers · 249 public housing units
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Va. Beach Dept. of Hsg & Neighborhood Pres.
Section 8 vouchers · City of Virginia Beach
2,220 vouchers
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Lynchburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Lynchburg
1,224 vouchers · 326 public housing units
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Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Suffolk
1,245 vouchers · 260 public housing units
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Petersburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Petersburg
1,078 vouchers · 70 public housing units
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Charlottesville Redev & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Charlottesville
677 vouchers · 346 public housing units
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Harrisonburg Redevelopment & Housing Authorit
Section 8 vouchers · City of Harrisonburg
979 vouchers
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Wise County Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Wise County
751 vouchers · 193 public housing units
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Hopewell Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Hopewell
611 vouchers · 256 public housing units
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Bristol Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Bristol
346 vouchers · 410 public housing units
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Waynesboro Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Waynesboro
486 vouchers · 188 public housing units
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Lee County Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Lee County
532 vouchers · 74 public housing units
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Marion Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Smyth County
250 vouchers · 238 public housing units
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Wytheville Redev. & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Wythe County
160 vouchers · 220 public housing units
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Franklin Redevelopment and Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Franklin
366 vouchers · 4 public housing units
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Norton Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Norton
113 vouchers · 218 public housing units
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Scott County Redev. & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Scott County
201 vouchers · 111 public housing units
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Cumberland Plateau Regional Housing Authority
Public housing · Russell County
309 public housing units
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Staunton Redevelopment & Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · City of Staunton
253 vouchers
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Abingdon Redevelopment and Housing Authority
Public housing and Section 8 vouchers · Washington County
121 vouchers · 28 public housing units
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Williamsburg Redevelopment & Housing Auth.
Public housing · City of Williamsburg
104 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 Virginia?
At the housing agency for your area; Virginia has 41. 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 Virginia?
The agencies in Virginia administer 61,457 Section 8 vouchers and 13,021 public housing units, according to HUD’s list retrieved November 6, 2026. They are program totals, not available vacancies.