How to Apply for Section 8 in Monterey County

To apply for Section 8 in Monterey County, you submit an online application to the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey (HACM) during one of its brief waitlist openings, and then wait for a lottery that selects the first 5,000 applicants for placement on the list.¹ The waitlist is currently closed. HACM’s most recent opening ran from July 1 through July 12, 2024, and openings are unpredictable, so the practical work right now is getting your eligibility and paperwork in order before the next window is announced.²

When the Waitlist Opens and How to Watch for It

HACM accepts applications online only, and only during announced open periods.¹ The 2024 opening lasted 12 days. That is the entire window — miss it and the next chance may be a year or more away.

Check HACM’s news page regularly, and if you lack internet access, contact HACM directly when an opening is announced. Housing authorities are required to take steps ensuring the process is accessible to people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency.³

Who Qualifies

Federal regulations allow housing authorities to admit only families that meet three requirements: income eligibility, qualifying family composition, and U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status.⁴ HACM confirms that eligibility hinges on total annual gross income, family size, and immigration status.¹

Income is the biggest filter. A family’s annual gross income generally cannot exceed 50 percent of the area median income (AMI) for Monterey County.¹ But sliding under that ceiling is not enough. Federal targeting rules require that at least 75 percent of vouchers issued each year go to extremely low-income families — households earning no more than 30 percent of AMI.⁴ In practice, almost everyone who receives a voucher in Monterey County falls into that bottom tier.

2025 Income Limits for the Salinas MSA (Monterey County)

Extremely low income (30% AMI): $30,400 for one person, $34,750 for two, $39,100 for three, $43,400 for four, $46,900 for five.

Very low income (50% AMI): $50,600 for one person, $57,850 for two, $65,100 for three, $72,300 for four, $78,100 for five.

Low income (80% AMI): $81,000 for one person, $92,600 for two, $104,150 for three, $115,700 for four, $125,000 for five.⁵

HUD updates these figures each spring, so check HACM’s site for the current numbers before you apply.

Criminal History

HACM must deny any applicant whose household includes someone subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement. Households where a member was evicted from federally assisted housing for drug-related activity face a mandatory three-year ban from the eviction date, though HACM can make exceptions if the person completed an approved rehabilitation program or the circumstances that led to eviction no longer exist.⁶

Beyond those mandatory bars, HACM has discretion to deny applicants based on recent drug-related activity, violent criminal history, or other behavior that could threaten neighbors or property staff.⁶ Every adult in the household is screened. A past arrest alone is not necessarily disqualifying; convictions and patterns of activity carry more weight.

Documents to Have Ready

Because the application window closes quickly, gather your documentation before an opening is announced. HACM collects information on income, assets, and family composition during the application and verifies it with employers, banks, and other agencies.¹

Photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport), Social Security cards, and birth certificates for every household member.⁷
Proof of U.S. citizenship or documentation of eligible immigration status for each household member.⁸
Names and addresses of all current employers for every adult, plus pay stubs or benefit award letters showing gross income from wages, Social Security, disability, child support, and any other source.
Current bank statements for checking, savings, and retirement accounts. Interest earned on assets counts toward your total income even if the asset itself doesn’t disqualify you.

Disclose even small income sources. Underreporting is one of the fastest ways to be removed from the program later.

Submitting the Application and the Lottery

Applications go through the HACM website during the open period. Monterey County does not use first-come, first-served. After the window closes, HACM runs a lottery to select the first 5,000 applicants for placement on the waitlist.¹ Applying on day one carries no advantage over applying on day twelve. HACM notifies applicants of the results after the drawing.

Being placed on the waitlist is not the same as receiving a voucher. It means you are in line, and the wait can stretch several years depending on how quickly existing vouchers turn over. Applicants who are not selected in the lottery must wait until the next opening to reapply.

If You Have a Disability

You can request a reasonable accommodation from HACM at any stage of the application or search. Federal law requires HACM to take appropriate steps to ensure the program is accessible.³ Common accommodations include extra time to gather documentation, help completing forms, and a longer voucher search period once one is issued.⁹ Put every request in writing and keep a copy.

What Happens After You’re Selected

When your name reaches the top of the waitlist, HACM verifies your eligibility again and then schedules a mandatory briefing before issuing your voucher. The briefing covers how the program works, tenant and landlord responsibilities, where you can use the voucher, and how portability works.³ Missing it can cost you the voucher.

After the briefing, HACM issues a voucher with a search window of at least 60 days to find an eligible unit on the private market. HACM may grant extensions, and it must extend the search time as a reasonable accommodation for a household member with a disability.⁹ The unit does not need to be labeled “Section 8 housing” — any willing landlord with a qualifying unit can participate.

Staying on the Waitlist

Getting selected in the lottery is only the first step. Staying on the list requires attention. Report any changes in household composition, income, or contact information to HACM in writing. HACM sends notices to the address on file, and mail returned as undeliverable can get your application removed.

HACM also periodically purges the waitlist by sending confirmation notices that carry a response deadline. If you don’t reply in time, your name is dropped and you’ll start over at the next opening. Check your mail, keep your phone number current, and use the Rent Cafe Portal on HACM’s website to verify your information.¹ A missed letter after two years of waiting means starting from zero.

If Your Application Is Denied

If HACM denies your application, you have the right to challenge the decision through an informal review. HACM must send you a written notice explaining the denial and informing you of your right to request a review.¹⁰

At the review you can present written or oral objections. The reviewer cannot be the person who made the original denial or anyone who reports to that person.¹⁰ HACM then notifies you of the final decision in writing. The denial notice will include the deadline for requesting a review; missing it typically waives your appeal right, so respond in time.

1
Housing Authority of the County of Monterey. Applications
2
Housing Authority of the County of Monterey. News
3
eCFR. 24 CFR 982.301 – Information When Family Is Selected
4
eCFR. 24 CFR 982.201 – Eligibility and Targeting
5
City of Seaside. Seaside 2025 Income Limits
6
eCFR. 24 CFR 982.553 – Denial of Admission and Termination of Assistance for Criminals and Alcohol Abusers
7
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Common Documents for Public Housing and HCV Applicants
8
Legal Information Institute. 24 CFR Part 5 Subpart E – Restrictions on Assistance to Noncitizens
9
eCFR. 24 CFR 982.303 – Term of Voucher
10
eCFR. 24 CFR 982.554 – Informal Review for Applicant