King County Section 8: Waitlist, Income Limits, and Lottery

The King County Housing Authority’s Section 8 waiting list is closed right now, which means you cannot submit a new application to KCHA at the moment.¹ Where you live inside the county still matters, though: Seattle residents apply through a separate agency that accepts applications year-round, and Renton has its own program as well. A King County Section 8 application starts with figuring out which of the three housing authorities covers your address, then either applying now or getting ready for KCHA’s next enrollment window.

Which Housing Authority Covers Your Address

King County does not have a single Section 8 program. Three separate agencies run Housing Choice Vouchers, and submitting to the wrong one will not transfer your application:

King County Housing Authority (KCHA) covers all of King County except Seattle and Renton. It is the largest of the three.²
Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) covers the City of Seattle and accepts voucher applications on an ongoing basis rather than through periodic openings.³
Renton Housing Authority (RHA) covers the City of Renton and runs its own waitlist and application process.⁴

Check your mailing address before you start. If you live in Seattle, SHA is your agency. If you live in Renton, contact RHA. Everywhere else in the county — Bellevue, Kent, Federal Way, Auburn, Shoreline, Burien, the unincorporated areas — the application goes to KCHA.

Current Waiting List Status

KCHA’s voucher waiting list is closed with no announced reopening date. The last lottery selected 2,500 applicants in March 2020.¹ KCHA’s subsidized housing waiting list is also temporarily closed.⁵ When the list does reopen, it typically stays open for only a short window — sometimes just a few days. Check KCHA’s website regularly and sign up for any notification lists the agency offers so you aren’t finding out after the window closes.

Seattle residents are in a better position. SHA’s voucher application process is ongoing, so you can apply at any time without waiting for a lottery announcement.³ Renton residents should contact RHA directly for the current status of its list.

Income Limits

Section 8 eligibility starts with your household’s annual gross income. Federal rules generally require income below 50 percent of the Area Median Income for your area. For King County in 2025, those 50 percent AMI thresholds are $55,000 for one person and $78,550 for a family of four.⁶ HUD updates these figures annually, so verify the current numbers when you apply.

In practice, most vouchers go to households well below that cap. Federal law requires housing authorities to direct at least 75 percent of new admissions to extremely low-income households earning 30 percent of AMI or less. In King County that works out to $33,050 for one person or $47,150 for a family of four.⁷ Meeting the 50 percent threshold makes you technically eligible. Falling under 30 percent gives you meaningful priority.

The program also serves families with children, elderly residents, and people with disabilities. If a household member has a disability, you can request reasonable accommodations such as an additional bedroom for medical equipment or a live-in aide, generally supported by documentation from a medical professional.

Citizenship and Immigration Status

Every person listed on the application must be a U.S. citizen or have eligible immigration status, and you need to provide proof for each household member.⁸ Acceptable documentation typically includes a birth certificate, passport, permanent resident card, or valid Social Security number.

Households with a mix of eligible and ineligible members can still qualify as a “mixed-status” family. In that case the housing authority prorates the subsidy based on the percentage of eligible members rather than denying the family outright.⁸ A full denial on these grounds happens only when no one in the household has eligible status.

Criminal Background Screening

Every adult in the household goes through a criminal background check. Federal law creates two mandatory, non-waivable bars:

Any household member subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement under a state registry is permanently barred from the program.⁹
Anyone convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine on the premises of federally assisted housing is permanently disqualified.¹⁰

Beyond those two hard bans, the housing authority has discretion to deny applicants for current illegal drug use, recent drug-related or violent criminal activity, or eviction from federally assisted housing for drug-related activity within the past three years.¹¹ Each agency sets its own lookback window for “recent.” If a conviction in your household could be an issue, ask the housing authority about its specific screening criteria before you spend time on the paperwork.

Documents to Gather Now

Whether KCHA opens its list in six months or three years, you want these records in one place. When the enrollment window opens or your name reaches the top, you often have only a short time to produce everything. Gather the following for every household member:

Valid photo ID for every adult, plus birth certificates and Social Security cards for everyone in the household, including children.
Proof of citizenship or eligible immigration status: birth certificates, U.S. passports, permanent resident cards, or immigration documents.
At least two months of consecutive pay stubs, plus your most recent federal tax return or W-2. If you receive Social Security, SSI, TANF, or other benefits, bring the most current award letter.
Bank statements showing checking and savings balances, and documentation for any investments, pensions, or other assets.
Your current address and recent landlord contact information.

Accuracy matters more than speed. Any discrepancy between your application and the documents you later provide can cost you your spot. Report your actual income, your actual household size, and your actual address. Inflating or understating any of them, even by accident, creates problems that are hard to unwind once flagged.

How KCHA’s Lottery Works

KCHA uses a random lottery rather than first-come-first-served when it opens the waiting list. During the last enrollment, the agency accepted applications over a set window and then randomly drew 2,500 names for placement on the list.¹ Submitting in the first hour does not improve your odds. What matters is that your application is complete and accurate before the window closes.

Applications are typically submitted through KCHA’s online portal. You create an account with a valid email, enter your household and income information across a series of screens, and submit the form. The system issues a confirmation number — save or print it immediately, because it is your only proof of a timely filing. KCHA has historically also accepted paper applications by mail or at designated drop-off locations for applicants who cannot use the online system, though availability varies by enrollment period.

SHA handles things differently. Because the Seattle list is open on a rolling basis, there is no lottery; you apply and are placed on the waiting list under SHA’s preference system.³

Staying on the List After You Apply

Getting on the list is the beginning, not the end. The wait between placement and a voucher can stretch for years, and the housing authority will periodically send verification notices to check whether you still need assistance. If you don’t respond, or the notice comes back undeliverable, your file gets closed. Reapplying means starting over whenever the list next reopens, which could be a long time.

Report changes in contact information, income, or household size as soon as they happen. KCHA lets you update your application online.⁵ SHA requires changes to be reported within ten business days.¹² A new phone number, a move, or a change in who lives with you all need to go in. The most common reason people lose their place is a missed piece of mail.

If Your Application Is Denied

If the housing authority denies your application, you have a right to an informal review. The agency must give you written notice explaining the specific reasons for the denial and the instructions for requesting a review.¹³ Read the deadline in that letter closely. Review requests are usually due within a short window, often 10 to 15 days from the date of the denial.

At the review you can present written or oral arguments, and you can bring an attorney or other representative at your own expense. The reviewer cannot be the same person who made or approved the original denial. The housing authority then has to give you a written decision explaining its reasoning.¹³

Criminal-history denials are the area where an informal review most often changes the outcome. If the agency relied on inaccurate records, if the conviction falls outside its lookback window, or if you can show rehabilitation, those are all arguments worth raising. Free and low-cost legal aid organizations across King County help with housing authority denials, and having representation at the review meaningfully improves your odds.

1
King County Housing Authority. Voucher Waiting List and Lottery
2
King County Housing Authority. Housing Choice Vouchers
3
Seattle Housing Authority. How to Apply for a Housing Choice Voucher
4
Renton Housing Authority. Renton Housing Authority
5
King County Housing Authority. How to Apply for Subsidized Housing
6
King County. 2025 Income and Rent Limits
7
King County Housing Authority. Eligibility
8
eCFR. 24 CFR 5.506 – General Provisions
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 13663
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1437n
11
eCFR. 24 CFR 982.553
12
Seattle Housing Authority. Income and Family Changes
13
eCFR. 24 CFR 982.554