The Dallas Section 8 waiting list is closed most of the year. The Dallas Housing Authority opens it only during short enrollment windows, and when a window closes, DHA runs a random lottery to decide who gets placed on the active list.1DHA. How to Apply Applying on day one gives you no advantage over applying on the last day. What matters is submitting a complete preliminary application during the window and meeting the eligibility rules when your name comes up.
How the Lottery Decides Who Gets On
DHA does not use first-come, first-served. Everyone who applies during an open enrollment period goes into the same pool, and after the window closes DHA randomly selects a set number of applicants for the active waiting list.1DHA. How to Apply How many names get drawn depends on how many vouchers DHA expects to turn over.
If you’re not picked, the result is final for that cycle. You’ll need to submit a new preliminary application the next time DHA opens enrollment. Selected applicants are notified by email and asked to complete the full application through the online portal.1DHA. How to Apply
Even after you make it onto the active list, a voucher is not immediate. A 2024 analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that families on DHA’s active list wait an average of about eight months before a voucher is issued. Because you have to clear the lottery first, the total time from your initial application to a voucher in hand is often substantially longer, and many people apply through multiple cycles before being selected.
DHA serves more than 53,500 people across seven North Texas counties through the Housing Choice Voucher program.2DHA. DHA Demand exceeds supply by a wide margin, which is why the lottery exists in the first place.
Income Limits for 2025–2026
DHA sets eligibility against the Area Median Income for the Dallas metro area, currently $117,300 for a family of four. Most vouchers go to households at or below 50 percent of AMI (the “very low income” line), and federal law requires that at least 75 percent of new admissions fall at or below 30 percent of AMI (the “extremely low income” line).3DHA. Program Comparison and Income Eligibility
Current ceilings by household size, in the order extremely low / very low / low:
- 1 person: $24,650 / $41,100 / $65,700
- 2 people: $28,200 / $46,950 / $75,100
- 3 people: $31,700 / $52,800 / $84,500
- 4 people: $35,200 / $58,650 / $93,850
- 5 people: $38,050 / $63,350 / $101,400
- 6 people: $43,150 / $68,050 / $108,900
- 7 people: $48,650 / $72,750 / $116,400
- 8 people: $54,150 / $77,450 / $123,900
These are gross annual figures, before taxes and deductions. HUD updates the numbers annually, usually in spring, so verify them on DHA’s eligibility page if you’re reading this after mid-2026.3DHA. Program Comparison and Income Eligibility
Citizenship and Background Screening
At least one person in the household must be a U.S. citizen or have eligible immigration status. Each family member either documents their status or certifies they do not claim eligible status and accepts a prorated subsidy.4eCFR. 24 CFR 5.508 – Submission of Evidence of Citizenship or Eligible Immigration Status
DHA runs criminal background checks on every adult in the household. The screening rules carry specific lookback periods:
- Drug-related evictions or convictions: disqualified for at least five years from the date of the eviction or conviction, and ten years when the eviction involved drug activity in federally assisted housing.
- Violent crimes: disqualified for five years if the conduct would threaten the health or safety of other residents.
- Active parole or probation for drug-related, violent, or community-safety offenses: disqualified for five years.
- Current illegal drug use: disqualified, with a five-year lookback for patterns of use.
- Lifetime sex offender registration: permanently barred.
The permanent bar on anyone subject to a state lifetime sex offender registration requirement is federal, not a DHA choice.5eCFR. 24 CFR 982.553 – Denial of Admission and Termination of Assistance for Criminals and Alcohol Abusers The other lookback periods come from DHA’s own screening criteria.6DHA. Public Housing Screening Criteria
Submitting the Preliminary Application
DHA handles applications through its online portal. Before the window opens, gather this information for every person who will live in the household:
- Full legal names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers
- Gross annual income from all sources, including wages, Social Security benefits, and child support
When DHA announces an enrollment period, go to the application page and complete the preliminary form. Check every digit, especially Social Security numbers; a single transposition can knock you out of the process.1DHA. How to Apply
After submission, the system generates a confirmation number. Save it. That number is your only proof of entry until DHA posts lottery results. Openings are usually announced on DHA’s website and through local community organizations, so checking the applicant portal periodically is the most reliable way to catch a window.
What Happens If You’re Selected
If the lottery places you on the active waiting list, you’ll eventually reach the top and be asked to complete a full application. DHA then runs an eligibility assessment covering income, household composition, identity documents, and criminal history.7DHA. Housing Choice Voucher Program Have tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements, and government-issued IDs ready for every adult. The review is thorough, and an incomplete file slows everything down.
Once you clear eligibility review, DHA issues a Housing Choice Voucher that lists your household size, the payment standard for your area, and the deadline for finding a qualifying unit.
Keeping Your Spot on the List
Sitting on the list is not passive. DHA requires you to report any change in income or household composition within 10 days of the change, including a new job, a family member moving in or out, or a new mailing address.8DHA. How to Report a Change in Income or Household Members Knowingly providing false or incomplete information is a criminal offense under DHA’s rules.
DHA also contacts applicants periodically to confirm continued interest. If you don’t respond, your application is terminated without further warning. The most common reason people lose their place is a missed letter after a move. Keep your contact details current in the applicant portal and watch your email.
If DHA Denies You
If DHA decides you’re ineligible after reviewing your full application, you can request an informal hearing, but you have to ask within 10 calendar days of the denial notice date.9DHA. Request for Informal Hearing Miss that deadline and you lose the right to challenge the decision.
Federal rules give you specific protections at the hearing. You can review your application file, present documents such as court records or letters of recommendation, bring witnesses, and question the evidence DHA relied on.10eCFR. 24 CFR 982.555 – Informal Hearing for Participant If the denial was based on criminal history, evidence of rehabilitation and time elapsed since the offense can be persuasive. If it came from incorrect information on your application, showing the error was unintentional rather than fraudulent matters. Applicants with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to participate.
The hearing officer must be someone other than the person who made the original denial. If the officer rules in your favor, DHA has to reverse the denial. If not, you’ve exhausted the administrative process, though you retain the right to seek judicial review.