To meet North Dakota Section 8 requirements and apply, your household’s gross income generally must fall at or below 50 percent of the area median income for the county where you want to live, every household member must be a U.S. citizen or have eligible immigration status, and you must pass a background check. You then submit an application directly to the local public housing authority that serves that area. North Dakota has roughly 30 public housing authorities, and each one keeps its own waiting list.
Income Limits
Income is the main screen. The ceiling is 50 percent of the area median income (AMI), adjusted for family size, and HUD recalculates the dollar figures every year based on local wages.1HUD USER. Income Limits Because the limits are tied to where you plan to live, the same family size can qualify in one county and not another.
Federal law requires each housing authority to direct at least 75 percent of its vouchers to extremely low-income households, meaning those earning no more than 30 percent of AMI. In practice, applicants closer to the 50 percent line often wait considerably longer, because most vouchers that open up go to the lowest-income households first.
Other Eligibility Rules
Beyond income, three other factors decide whether you can get on the list:
- Citizenship or immigration status. Every household member must be a U.S. citizen or have eligible immigration status, verified through federal databases.2USAGov. Section 8 Housing
- Household type. Eligible households include single individuals, families with children, elderly persons, and people with disabilities.
- Background check. A lifetime sex offender registration requirement is an automatic bar. Recent drug-related or violent criminal activity, or an unpaid debt owed to a housing authority, can also lead to denial.3U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Housing Choice Voucher Program Guidebook – Eligibility Determination and Denial of Assistance
Documents to Gather Before You Apply
Housing authorities will not process an application without supporting documentation for each person in the household. Start pulling these together before you sit down to fill out the forms:4HUD Exchange. Common Documents for Public Housing and HCV Applicants
- Social Security cards, birth certificates, and photo ID (driver’s license or state ID) for every household member.
- Citizenship or immigration documents, including U.S. passports or immigration papers where applicable.
- Proof of income: typically a month’s worth of recent pay stubs, Social Security or other benefit award letters, and your most recent federal tax return.5U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Policy Guidance 2024-07 – Income Verification
- Bank statements showing checking and savings balances, plus information on any other assets.
- Proof of current address, such as a utility bill, lease, or recent piece of mail.
Individual housing authorities can require more, so call or check the website of the agency you plan to apply to before submitting. Make sure the figures on your application match what your documents show. Any mismatch slows down verification, when the agency cross-checks your reported income against federal databases and employer records.
Where to Submit Your Application
You apply to the housing authority that serves the area where you want to live, not to a statewide office. Major agencies in North Dakota include:6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. PHA Contact Report – North Dakota
- Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority
- Grand Forks Housing Authority
- Burleigh County Housing Authority (Bismarck area)
- Minot Housing Authority
- North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, which administers vouchers for several rural counties
Some agencies take online applications; others require paper submissions by mail or in person. If you mail yours, use certified mail. The tracking number proves when the agency received your packet, which can matter for your position on the list.
What Happens After You Apply
Submitting the application puts you on a waiting list. It does not get you a voucher. Demand far exceeds supply in most parts of North Dakota, and waits of a year or more are common.
Many agencies apply local preferences that move certain applicants up the list. Common preferences include already living in the agency’s service area, being homeless, living in substandard housing, or paying more than half of your income in rent. Ask your local agency which preferences it uses, and claim any you qualify for when you apply.
While you wait, keep the housing authority updated on your address, phone number, household size, and income. If the agency mails you a notice and you miss the deadline because the letter went to an old address, you can lose your place entirely.
What You’ll Actually Pay If You’re Approved
Your rent share is set by federal formula. You pay the highest of three figures: 30 percent of your monthly adjusted income, 10 percent of your monthly gross income, or a minimum rent of up to $50 set by your local agency.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1437a – Rental Payments For most families, the 30 percent calculation wins.
Adjusted income is lower than gross income. The agency subtracts allowances before applying the formula, including $480 per year for each dependent, an allowance for elderly or disabled households, unreimbursed childcare costs that enable someone in the household to work or go to school, and certain medical expenses for elderly or disabled families. Reporting these accurately can meaningfully reduce what you owe.
Each housing authority also publishes a payment standard for every bedroom size, which caps how much subsidy it will contribute. The standard must sit between 90 and 110 percent of HUD’s annual Fair Market Rent for the area.8eCFR. 24 CFR 982.503 – Payment Standard Areas, Schedule, and Amounts For FY 2026, HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit is $1,175 in the Bismarck metro area, $1,112 in Fargo, and $1,089 in Grand Forks.9HUD User. FY 2026 Schedule of Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Fair Market Rents If you pick a unit renting above the payment standard, you pay the difference. At initial move-in, your total rent share cannot exceed 40 percent of your adjusted monthly income, and the housing authority will refuse to approve a lease that would push you past that line.10U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Housing Choice Voucher Tenants
When utilities are not included in the rent, the agency factors in a utility allowance that reduces what you pay the landlord, so your combined housing cost stays near the 30 percent figure.11U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Utility Allowances and Resources
Finding a Unit Once You Have a Voucher
Once your name comes up and the agency issues your voucher, you have between 60 and 120 days to find a rental, depending on what your housing authority allows.10U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Housing Choice Voucher Tenants The landlord has to be willing to participate, and the rent must be reasonable compared to similar unassisted units nearby.12eCFR. 24 CFR 982.507 – Rent to Owner: Reasonable Rent
When you find a place, the landlord completes a Request for Tenancy Approval form and sends it to the housing authority.13U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD-52517 – Request for Tenancy Approval That kicks off the Housing Quality Standards inspection, which checks for working plumbing, safe electrical, adequate heat, functioning smoke detectors, and sound structure.14U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD-52580 Inspection Checklist If the unit fails, the landlord has 30 days to fix most problems and 24 hours for anything life-threatening.15eCFR. 24 CFR 982.405 – PHA Unit Inspection Once the unit passes and the lease is signed, the agency executes a Housing Assistance Payment contract with the landlord and pays its share directly each month.16eCFR. 24 CFR 982.305 – PHA Approval of Assisted Tenancy
Veterans Have a Different Path
Homeless veterans should not use the regular waiting list. HUD-VASH pairs rental assistance with VA case management and clinical services and can waive some standard voucher requirements to house veterans faster.17U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Contact a VA medical center directly, or call the National Homeless Veteran Call Center at 1-877-424-3838.