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Rochester Housing Authority
Official application routes, service-area details, contact information, and HUD-reported program data for this Rochester housing agency.
Independent directory: CalculateBenefits is not RHA or HUD. Recorded source-check date for the agency-specific details below: 2026-11-02.
Is the Rochester Section 8 waiting list open?
As of Nov. 2, 2026, RHA'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 →
Public housing
Open — limited Studio waiting list only. RHA's notice: "The 1-bedroom waitlist will be closing on October 28, 2026 at 12 Noon." The 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom lists have been closed since March 3, 2025.
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 RHA can take an application or tell you your place on a list.
Start with the official agency
Visit the official RHA 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
RHA serves lower-income residents and program participants in the five-county Greater Rochester area. Its public housing units are located across the Greater Rochester area.
- Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
- Public housing
- Project-Based Vouchers
- Shelter Plus Care, VASH and other special-purpose vouchers
- Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS)
Housing Choice Voucher application
Only people on RHA's tenant-based Section 8 waiting list can get a voucher from RHA. RHA decides eligibility based on yearly gross income and family size, and it checks the criminal background of adult household members.
What RHA said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check RHA's official site or call for the current status.
Public housing application
RHA takes public housing pre-applications online through its application portal, with separate waiting lists by bedroom size. You can ask for a paper application by calling (585) 697-7180 ext. 105. If you are placed on a list, RHA mails a Letter of Acknowledgment within 10 days.
What RHA said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check RHA's official site or call for the current status.
Income limits for Monroe County
HUD fiscal year 2026 limits (pulled July 27, 2026) for Monroe County, where RHA's main office is.
| Household | 30% (extremely low) | 50% (very low) | 80% (low) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $22,500 | $37,450 | $59,950 |
| 2 people | $25,700 | $42,800 | $68,500 |
| 3 people | $28,900 | $48,150 | $77,050 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $53,500 | $85,600 |
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. Limits differ by county; use the income-limit checker for the county you live in.
Source: HUD income limits. Check 5 to 8 people or another county →
Other help in Rochester
Heat and utility bills
Monroe County Department of Human Services — HEAP
Monroe County runs the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), which helps low-income households pay home heating costs. Check the county page for season dates and how to apply.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Food
The Rochester-area food bank. Its Find Food map lists local food pantries, community meals and food distribution sites. Call a site first to check its hours.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Facing eviction
Legal Assistance of Western New York (LawNY) — Rochester Office · (585) 325-2520
Free civil legal help in Monroe County, including housing problems. Call the Rochester office or fill out the online intake form.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Everything else
211/LIFE LINE (Finger Lakes) · 211
Dial 211 any time, 24/7, for help finding local services. Serves Monroe, Wayne, Cayuga, Ontario, Livingston and Seneca counties.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
These are separate organizations, not RHA and not CalculateBenefits.
Contact RHA before you visit
General inquiries: 585-697-6189
Central office: 675 West Main Street, Rochester, NY 14611
Housing Choice Voucher line: 585-697-6105
HCV office: 675 West Main Street, Rochester, NY 14611
Published hours: Main office lobby: Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM; Friday 8:30 AM–12:00 noon
RHA serves people at the 675 W. Main St. lobby in the order they arrive. Try to arrive by 4:00 PM Monday to Thursday, or by 11:30 AM on Friday. Public housing applications are handled at the Application Processing Center, 270 Lake Ave. Parking is free at both places.
RHA's application page and online pre-application are available in Spanish.
From CalculateBenefits, not RHA
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
- Before you start the online pre-application, have the names, dates of birth and Social Security Numbers of everyone in your household.
- Your confirmation number is only a reference number. It does not mean you are on the waiting list. Only people added to a list get a letter.
- To check your place on the public housing or project-based waiting list, call the Waiting List Status Inquiry Line at (585) 697-7574.
- For questions about a public housing application, call 585-697-7180. For Section 8 questions, call 585-697-6105.
- Project-based voucher waiting lists are run by each property. Contact the property directly to get an application.
Documents RHA asks applicants to have ready
- Names of all household members
- Dates of birth for all household members
- Social Security Numbers for all household members
From RHA's published guidance. Ask the agency if you are missing something; do not wait to call.
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 RHA, not this dataset.
HUD public housing designation: Standard Performer. Standard Performer means the agency met HUD's overall and individual-indicator minimums but did not qualify as a High Performer. 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 New York housing agencies · New York income limits and Fair Market Rents · How Housing Choice Vouchers work · Section 8 waiting lists at large agencies.