The main Section 8 phone number in Los Angeles is 833-422-5248 if you live inside the City of Los Angeles, and 626-262-4510 if you live in Los Angeles County. Two separate agencies run the program across the region, and calling the wrong one is the single most common reason people are told their file can’t be found. Confirm which jurisdiction your address falls in before you dial.
Which Number to Call Based on Your Address
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) administers vouchers for residents living within City of Los Angeles boundaries. The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) handles vouchers for people in unincorporated county areas and in the 62 incorporated cities that contract with the county for housing services.1Los Angeles County Development Authority. Where We Operate
Eighteen cities in Los Angeles County run their own independent housing authorities, including Long Beach, Pasadena, Burbank, Glendale, Inglewood, Compton, Santa Monica, and Pomona.1Los Angeles County Development Authority. Where We Operate If you live in one of those cities, neither HACLA nor LACDA will have your records. You’ll need to contact that city’s housing authority directly.
Not sure which agency serves you? Check your most recent recertification letter or housing assistance payment notice. The issuing agency’s name and logo sit at the top. You can also cross-check your address against LACDA’s eligible-areas list, which covers communities from Acton and Agoura Hills through Whittier and West Hollywood.2Los Angeles County Development Authority. Supplemental Document 2 – Eligible Areas
Hours, TDD Lines, and Landlord Contacts
City of Los Angeles (HACLA)
The main customer service line is 833-422-5248, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The same number works whether you’re a voucher holder, an applicant, or a landlord. The TDD line for deaf or hard-of-hearing callers is 213-252-5313.3Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles. Contact Us Landlords who need help with the Owner Portal can also email owners.portal@hacla.org.
Los Angeles County (LACDA)
The county’s main customer service number is 626-262-4510, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For disability-related assistance or bilingual translation, press option 2 after dialing. The TDD line is 626-943-3898, or you can reach California Relay Services by dialing 7-1-1.4Los Angeles County Development Authority. How To Apply Landlords interested in leasing units through the county program can call 626-586-1570 or email Owner.Services@lacda.org.
HUD’s National Hotline
If a problem isn’t being resolved by either local agency, HUD’s fraud and complaint hotline is 1-800-347-3735.5Office of Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban Development. Report Fraud
What to Have Ready Before You Call
Representatives verify your identity before they’ll open any account, and missing a single detail often means starting the call over. Pull your paperwork together before you dial:
- Your case ID or application number, which appears at the top of official letters and recertification notices. Without it, the representative has to search by name and Social Security Number, which takes longer.
- The head of household’s Social Security Number, the primary identifier in the system.
- Your current gross monthly income. Your rent portion is calculated against 30 percent of adjusted monthly income, so any income question will come back to this figure.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1437f – Low-Income Housing Assistance
- The mailing address on file. If it has changed, know both the old address (for verification) and the new one.
- Any recent correspondence about inspections, recertification deadlines, or payment changes. Reference numbers from those letters move the call along significantly.
Calling about someone else’s case, such as a family member in the hospital? You’ll likely need written authorization on file before the representative can discuss the account. Set that up ahead of time if you can.
When to Use the Online Portal Instead
Both agencies run online portals that handle many routine tasks without the hold times. HACLA participants can use the Rent Café portal to manage their account, submit documents, and request household changes during annual recertification.7Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles. Frequently Asked Questions LACDA participants have a similar portal at housingservices.lacda.org for account information and status updates.8LACDA Housing Services. Contact Us
Try the portal first for uploading pay stubs, checking payment status, or updating contact information. Anything that calls for a caseworker’s judgment, such as disputing a rent calculation, requesting a transfer, or explaining unusual income, still typically needs a phone call or an in-person visit.
One rule the portal doesn’t let you ignore: federal regulations require you to promptly notify your housing authority when your family composition changes, whether someone moves in or out, a child is born, or a household member dies.9eCFR. 24 CFR 982.551 – Obligations of Participant HACLA interim changes are handled through Form RE-14 submitted to your caseworker; you can call 833-422-5248 for guidance. LACDA requires all changes to be reported in writing within 10 calendar days, including new income sources and updates to allowable deductions like childcare or medical expenses.
If You’re Trying to Apply, Not Manage a Voucher
Calling either main number won’t get you onto a Section 8 waiting list. Both agencies open applications only through rare, lottery-based periods. HACLA’s waiting list last opened in October 2017, the first time in 13 years, and accepted applications for just two weeks.10Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles. HACLA Section 8 Waiting List Lottery Applications Open Monday (10/13) LACDA’s waiting lists are also currently closed. When an opening does happen, both agencies announce it on their websites and through local media.
If you’re already on a list, calling to check your position is reasonable, though be prepared to hear that you’re still waiting. If you’re experiencing homelessness or an immediate housing crisis, contact the Los Angeles Continuum of Care through the 2-1-1 LA County helpline. That’s a separate referral pathway for emergency housing assistance, not something either housing authority handles at the main number.11U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Emergency Housing Vouchers
Escalating to HUD
If you’ve called the right local agency, worked through the portal, and still can’t get a response on something the agency is required to handle, HUD’s Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-800-347-3735 accepts complaints about program administration as well as fraud.5Office of Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban Development. Report Fraud For disputes over a termination, denial, or rent calculation, the agency that issued the notice must offer an informal hearing under federal rules; the deadline to request one is on the notice itself, so read it carefully and respond before the date listed.12eCFR. 24 CFR Part 982 – Section 8 Tenant-Based Assistance: Housing Choice Voucher Program