About Section 8 Navigator

Section 8 Navigator is an independent guide to the Housing Choice Voucher program — the federal rental assistance program most people know as "Section 8." We publish plain-language explanations, data-backed tools, and local housing authority information for two audiences: tenants and applicants navigating the voucher system, and landlords and investors evaluating properties in assisted-housing markets.

What we cover

For tenants: eligibility and income limits, how to apply, how waiting lists work, what you'll actually pay each month, your rights during inspections, and how to find the housing authority that serves your area.

For landlords and investors: how HAP contracts work, HQS and NSPIRE inspection standards, payment standards versus Fair Market Rent, how to read HUD market data, and the full process for becoming an approved Section 8 landlord.

Our tools — including the Housing Authority Finder and Voucher Payment Estimator — pull from real HUD data updated annually as HUD releases new figures.

Data sources

The data behind our tools comes entirely from federal public sources: HUD's Fair Market Rent and Income Limits APIs, the HUD-USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk, the HUD Public Housing Agency inventory, HUD's Multifamily Assistance and Section 8 Contracts database, and REAC Physical Inspection Scores. Section 8 Navigator is not affiliated with HUD, any Public Housing Agency, or any government body.

How this site is funded

Section 8 Navigator is supported by display advertising and affiliate partnerships. When you click through to a partner product and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Affiliate content is always labeled and partners are selected for relevance to the surrounding guidance — not commission size. See our Affiliate Disclosure for full details.

Accuracy and corrections

HUD program rules, payment standards, and local PHA policies change. We update our tools and content when HUD releases new data, but figures on this site should be verified with your local housing authority before making housing decisions. If you spot an error, an outdated figure, or a broken link, please let us know — we take corrections seriously.