PHA directory › Wisconsin › Agency profile
Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee
Official application routes, service-area details, contact information, and HUD-reported program data for this Milwaukee housing agency.
Independent directory: CalculateBenefits is not HACM or HUD. Recorded source-check date for the agency-specific details below: 2026-11-02.
Is the Milwaukee Section 8 waiting list open?
As of Nov. 2, 2026, HACM'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 Public Housing General Occupancy list; apply online only at myportal.hacm.org
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 HACM can take an application or tell you your place on a list.
Start with the official agency
Visit the official HACM 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
HACM runs public housing, project-based vouchers and the Section 8 rent assistance program for the City of Milwaukee. It says it "has various types of subsidized and unsubsidized housing available."
- Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8 Rent Assistance)
- Public housing
- Project-Based Vouchers
- Affordable housing (LIHTC) and affordable market-rate housing
- Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)
- Section 8(y) Homeownership Program
Housing Choice Voucher application
HACM takes waiting list applications online only, through its portal at myportal.hacm.org. HACM has used a lottery for the tenant-based voucher list in the past and posts lottery updates on its site. Project-based vouchers are a separate list tied to specific buildings.
What HACM said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check HACM's official site or call for the current status.
Public housing application
You apply online through myportal.hacm.org. HACM lists its public housing properties at hacm.org/phproperties. When your name is picked, HACM emails you to finish a full application.
What HACM said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check HACM's official site or call for the current status.
Income limits for Milwaukee County
HUD fiscal year 2026 limits (pulled July 27, 2026) for Milwaukee County, where HACM's main office is.
| Household | 30% (extremely low) | 50% (very low) | 80% (low) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $22,750 | $37,950 | $60,700 |
| 2 people | $26,000 | $43,400 | $69,400 |
| 3 people | $29,250 | $48,800 | $78,050 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $54,200 | $86,700 |
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 Milwaukee
Heat and utility bills
Keep Warm Milwaukee (Milwaukee County Energy Assistance) · (414) 270-4653
Helps Milwaukee County households with a once-a-year payment toward heating and electric bills. Call or book an appointment online, or apply on the state's online application.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Food
Hunger Task Force · (414) 777-0483
Milwaukee's free food bank. Use its site to find a food pantry or meal site near you.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Facing eviction
Legal Action of Wisconsin · (855) 947-2529
Free civil legal help, including eviction defense. Apply online or by phone. It also runs an Eviction Defense Project at the Milwaukee courthouse on some weekdays.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Everything else
Free, private helpline for Milwaukee County and nearby counties. Call 211, text your ZIP code to 898-211, or chat online to find local help.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
These are separate organizations, not HACM and not CalculateBenefits.
Contact HACM before you visit
General inquiries: (414) 286-5678
Central office: 809 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Housing Choice Voucher line: (414) 286-5650
HCV office: 5011 W. Lisbon Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53210
Published hours: Voucher office: Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM (no appointment necessary)
HACM lists (414) 286-5678 for its Public Housing Applications/Intake Office (TDD (414) 286-3504). The voucher office at 5011 W. Lisbon Avenue says no appointment is needed during its hours. For a disability accommodation, contact HACM's 504 Coordinator at 414-286-5678.
HACM says it will try to provide sign language interpreters or other aids with reasonable notice. Contact the 504 Coordinator at 414-286-5678 (voice) or the TDD line listed by HACM.
From CalculateBenefits, not HACM
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
- HACM takes waiting list applications online only. You can use a computer, tablet or smartphone.
- Before you start, have six things ready: first and last name and date of birth for everyone in your home, a mailing address, a Social Security number, a phone number, and an email address.
- After you apply, HACM will email you when your name is picked. Then you finish a full application so HACM can check if you meet the rules.
- HACM says it cannot tell you your place on a waiting list.
- If you are already on a list, log in at myportal.hacm.org to keep your information up to date.
- If you do not have a device, public libraries have free computers you can use.
Documents HACM asks applicants to have ready
- First and last name for all household members
- Date of birth for all household members
- Mailing address
- Social Security Number
- Phone number (including area code)
- Email address
From HACM'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 HACM, 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 Wisconsin housing agencies · Wisconsin income limits and Fair Market Rents · How Housing Choice Vouchers work · Section 8 waiting lists at large agencies.