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San Diego Housing Commission
Official application routes, service-area details, contact information, and HUD-reported program data for this San Diego housing agency.
Independent directory: CalculateBenefits is not SDHC or HUD. Recorded source-check date for the agency-specific details below: 2026-11-02.
Is the San Diego Section 8 waiting list open?
As of Nov. 2, 2026, SDHC's website said the list was closed.
Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
Closed
What the agency's site said on Nov. 2, 2026. See the notice →
Waiting lists open and close without much notice. Applying is free; only SDHC can take an application or tell you your place on a list.
Start with the official agency
Visit the official SDHC website →
Housing applications and waiting-list registration are free. A third party cannot guarantee approval or move you ahead on a waiting list.
What this agency serves
SDHC provides housing help for people with low income or experiencing homelessness in the City of San Diego. It gives federal rental assistance to about 17,000 households a year.
- Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
- Public Housing
- Project-Based Vouchers
- Affordable rentals owned or managed by SDHC
- Homelessness programs
- First-time homebuyer assistance
- SDHC Achievement Academy (job and financial skills)
Housing Choice Voucher application
SDHC keeps its rental assistance wait list in an online Wait List Portal. You need an email address and password to register. People who already applied can still log in to update their application. SDHC says it is not choosing new families from the voucher list and does not expect to for several more years because of federal funding.
What SDHC said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check SDHC's official site or call for the current status.
Public housing application
Public Housing uses the same SDHC Wait List Portal. People already on the list keep their place and can update their application there.
What SDHC said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check SDHC's official site or call for the current status.
Income limits for San Diego County
HUD fiscal year 2026 limits (pulled July 27, 2026) for San Diego County, where SDHC's main office is.
| Household | 30% (extremely low) | 50% (very low) | 80% (low) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $36,750 | $61,250 | $97,950 |
| 2 people | $42,000 | $70,000 | $111,950 |
| 3 people | $47,250 | $78,750 | $125,950 |
| 4 people | $52,450 | $87,450 | $139,900 |
Section 8 vouchers generally use the 50% limit, and agencies must give most new vouchers to families at or below 30%; families up to 50% can still qualify. The 80% limit applies to public housing.
Source: HUD income limits. Check 5 to 8 people or another county →
Other help in San Diego
Heat and utility bills
MAAC — Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) · 619.434.3829
Once-a-year LIHEAP help with energy bills, plus help after a shutoff notice, for listed ZIP codes in south and east San Diego County (such as 92113, 92114, 92154). Check the ZIP list first.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Food
San Diego Food Bank · 1-866-350-3663
Use the Food Locator Map to find a free food distribution near you by ZIP code. Call the Food Bank for help with the map.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Facing eviction
Legal Aid Society of San Diego · 1-877-534-2524
Free legal help for people with low incomes in San Diego County, including eviction defense and public housing or Section 8 problems. Call to ask for help.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Everything else
Free, private help 24 hours a day. Call 2-1-1 or search online to find local help with housing, food, utilities and more.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
These are separate organizations, not SDHC and not CalculateBenefits.
Contact SDHC before you visit
General inquiries: (619) 231-9400
Central office: 1122 Broadway, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101
Housing Choice Voucher line: 619-578-7640 (Wait List Call Center)
Published hours: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; closed on alternating Fridays
SDHC's office at 1122 Broadway, Suite 300 is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closes on alternating Fridays, so check the closure list or call (619) 231-9400 first. For a disability accommodation on the wait list, call 619-578-7640.
SDHC offers free language help, including bilingual staff and phone interpreters in 240 languages. To ask for a document in another language, email [email protected].
From CalculateBenefits, not SDHC
Waiting-list news by email
Get our free emails. If this agency's main Section 8 waiting list opens and we see it, we email the people who signed up here. Some lists close before we can send. To sign up, you take our free benefits check. You give your name and email and answer a few questions. A phone step is optional. Then you see offers from partners. Your information may be shared with or sold to marketing partners. They may also contact you (how we use it). Signing up does not apply for housing or put you on any waiting list.
Because you've turned on a privacy opt-out, we don't offer this sign-up here. Check the agency's own site for openings.
Before and after you apply
- If you already applied, you do not need to do anything, but you can update your application in the Wait List Portal.
- If you registered before December 5, 2022, you must create a new account in the new portal. This does not change your place on the list.
- SDHC says it cannot give an estimated wait time right now.
- For questions about the wait list or your application, call the Wait List Call Center at 619-578-7640.
- SDHC suggests also looking at other community resources and SDHC-owned affordable rentals.
HUD-reported assistance
These figures are HUD reporting-data snapshots, not a count of openings. Equal inventory and occupied counts do not prove that no future opening is possible. Waiting-list status comes from SDHC, not this dataset.
HUD public housing designation: High Performer. High Performer is HUD's top Public Housing Assessment System category. Under current PHAS rules, the agency earned at least 90% overall and met the minimum score for each assessed indicator. It is an operating assessment, not a customer-review rating.
HUD directory dataset retrieved 2026-07-20; record last updated 2026-04-07. Read the data methods and limitations.
Agency and data sources
Related: All California housing agencies · California income limits and Fair Market Rents · How Housing Choice Vouchers work · Section 8 waiting lists at large agencies.