To apply for low-income housing in Maryland, contact the Public Housing Authority (PHA) that covers the city or county where you live or want to live, confirm your household income falls within HUD’s limits for your area and family size, and submit an application when the waiting list is open. If your county has no local PHA, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) handles applications directly. The specific steps depend on which of the state’s affordable housing programs fits your situation.
Pick the Right Program First
Maryland has four main affordable housing programs, and each has its own application. You can apply to more than one at the same time, and generally you should.
The Housing Choice Voucher Program, still widely called Section 8, gives you a voucher that covers part of the rent at a privately owned home or apartment you find yourself. The unit has to pass a safety inspection and the rent has to fall within program limits.1U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Housing Choice Voucher Tenants Local PHAs run this program using federal HUD funding.2USAGov. Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
Public housing units are owned and managed directly by local housing authorities. Rent is based on your income rather than market rates, and the developments range from single-family homes to high-rise apartments serving low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties are privately owned apartment complexes built or renovated with federal tax credits. In exchange, owners must keep a share of units affordable, typically at least 20 percent for households at or below 50 percent of area median income, or at least 40 percent for those at or below 60 percent.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 42 – Low-Income Housing Credit You apply directly to the property management company. There is no housing authority involved and no shared waiting list.
The Maryland Statewide Rental Assistance Voucher Program is a state-funded voucher for families already on a federal Housing Choice Voucher waiting list. If you qualify, you can receive assistance for up to five years or until your name comes up on the federal list. Priority goes to families with minor children, foster youth ages 18 to 24, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, and seniors. Your local PHA administers this program, or DHCD if your county has no PHA.4Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. About the Housing Choice Voucher Program
Do You Qualify?
Every program uses income limits tied to the Area Median Income (AMI) for your specific county or metro area, adjusted for family size. HUD updates these limits every year, and the threshold that matters depends on the program.
For the Housing Choice Voucher Program, federal law requires that at least 75 percent of newly admitted families be “extremely low-income,” meaning household income at or below 30 percent of AMI.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1437n – Eligibility for Assisted Housing The remaining vouchers go to families earning up to 50 percent of AMI. Public housing generally serves families earning up to 80 percent of AMI.
In dollars, here is what those percentages look like in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro area for fiscal year 2025, the most recent available at publication:6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits – Maryland
- Extremely low-income (30% AMI), family of four: $39,100
- Very low-income (50% AMI), family of four: $65,150
- Low-income (80% AMI), family of four: $104,200
These numbers shift across Maryland. Rural counties on the Eastern Shore and in Western Maryland have lower median incomes and lower thresholds. Look up the limits for your exact area on HUD’s income limits page.7U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Income Limits
Other Eligibility Factors
Income is the first screen but not the only one. Every applicant must meet citizenship or eligible immigration status requirements, and each household member’s status is verified before admission.8U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. PHA Letter on Citizenship and Immigration Status Verification
Background checks are standard. Two findings cause automatic disqualification under federal rules: a conviction for manufacturing methamphetamine in federally assisted housing, and lifetime registration on a sex offender registry. Beyond those mandatory bars, each housing authority has discretion over how it weighs other criminal history and prior evictions.9U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook – Eligibility Determination and Denial of Assistance
Find Your Local Housing Authority
Maryland has more than 20 local housing authorities, and which one you contact depends on where you live or want to live. The larger ones include the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, the Housing Authority of Prince George’s County, and the Housing Commission of Anne Arundel County. HUD publishes a complete list with addresses, phone numbers, and email contacts for every PHA in the state.10U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. PHA Contact Information – Maryland
If you live in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, or Worcester County, there is no local housing authority. DHCD acts as your PHA and handles voucher administration directly.4Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. About the Housing Choice Voucher Program
For LIHTC properties, skip the housing authority entirely. Search for affordable apartment listings in your area and contact the property management office. Each LIHTC property runs its own application and waiting list.
Gather Your Documents
Missing paperwork is the most common reason applications stall or get sent back. Pull these together before you start:
- A government-issued photo ID for every adult household member.
- Social Security cards or official verification for everyone age six and older.
- Birth certificates for everyone in the household.
- Proof of income: recent pay stubs, tax returns, benefit award letters for Social Security or unemployment, and bank statements.
- Rental history, including names, addresses, and phone numbers for current and previous landlords.
- Disability documentation from a medical provider or benefits agency, if you or a household member has a disability, especially if you plan to request a reasonable accommodation.
Photocopy everything you submit. Housing authorities process thousands of applications and originals occasionally go missing. Copies also help if you’re applying to more than one program at the same time, which nothing prevents you from doing.
Submit the Application and Get on the List
How you submit depends on the program and the housing authority. Many Maryland PHAs now offer online portals where you create an account, complete the application, and upload documents. Others still accept paper applications by mail or in person. The DHCD website lists submission options for each county it serves.
A few things catch people off guard. Many waiting lists open only periodically. If the list for your area is closed, you cannot submit an application until it reopens, and there may be no advance notice, so check back regularly. When a list does open, apply the same day if you can. Lists can close within days. Keep your confirmation number or receipt and a copy of everything you sent. That is your only proof of when you applied, and your place on the list depends on that date.
Wait times vary. Lower-demand areas can be under a year; high-demand jurisdictions can run several years. The Baltimore metro area, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County tend to fall on the longer end.
You can sometimes move faster through local preferences. PHAs may give priority to applicants who already live or work in the jurisdiction, working families (with elderly and disabled families treated as qualifying), veterans, and families displaced by domestic violence, natural disaster, or government action.11U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook – Waiting List and Tenant Selection A PHA cannot require residency to apply, but it can prefer residents when selecting from the list. Each PHA publishes its preferences in its administrative plan. Ask which ones apply when you file.
Keep your contact information current while you wait. If the housing authority can’t reach you when your name comes up, you lose your spot. Some PHAs also send letters asking you to confirm you still want to stay on the list, and no response means removal.
What Happens After You’re Selected
When your name reaches the top, the housing authority contacts you for a second round of screening: a detailed interview, verification of everything on your application, updated income documentation, and a formal background check. Passing the initial eligibility screen does not mean you’re in. This is where everything gets confirmed.
If you’re approved for a Housing Choice Voucher, you’ll receive the voucher and a deadline, usually 60 to 120 days depending on the PHA, to find a landlord willing to participate. Not every landlord accepts vouchers, so start looking right away. Once you find a unit and the landlord agrees, an inspector verifies the home meets Housing Quality Standards: working smoke detectors, adequate heat and hot water, functional plumbing and electrical systems, and enough space for your family size.12HUD Exchange. Housing Quality Standard Requirements Before PHA Execution of the HAP Contract The unit must pass before the subsidy contract is signed.
In public housing, you don’t search for your own unit. The housing authority assigns one based on availability and your family size. You tour it, and if you accept, you sign a lease directly with the housing authority.
If You’re Denied
A denial is not necessarily final. Federal regulations require housing authorities to give you written notice explaining why, and you have the right to request a review.13eCFR. 24 CFR 982.554 – Informal Review for Applicant For the voucher program this is called an informal review; for public housing it’s a grievance hearing. In both:
- The review must be conducted by someone who wasn’t involved in the original decision.
- You can present written or oral objections.
- The PHA must notify you of the final decision in writing with reasons.
If the denial was based on criminal history or a past eviction, you may be able to present evidence of rehabilitation, changed circumstances, or errors in the record. Request the review promptly. Housing authorities set their own deadlines and missing the window forfeits your right to challenge the decision.
Fair Housing Protections During the Process
Federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status (having children under 18), and disability.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 3604 – Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Housing Maryland state law adds protections for marital status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. These protections cover every stage, including the application, the waiting list, and unit assignment.
If you have a disability, you can request a reasonable accommodation at any point: a modified application procedure, an accessible unit, or an exception to a policy that would otherwise create a barrier. The housing authority or landlord must grant reasonable requests unless doing so would impose an undue burden.
If you believe a housing authority, landlord, or property manager discriminated against you, file a complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. You can file online, call 1-800-669-9777, or mail a printed complaint form. File as soon as possible, because time limits apply.15U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Report Housing Discrimination Retaliation against anyone who files is illegal.
If You Need Help Navigating This
Maryland’s 211 helpline connects residents with local housing resources, including subsidized housing listings, emergency shelters, rental assistance programs, and security deposit help. Search the 211 database online, call 211, or text your ZIP code to 898-211.16211 Maryland. Find Housing and Shelter In Baltimore City, 211 can also connect you with a free housing navigator who can walk you through the application.