24 C.F.R. § 982.204

§ 982.204 Waiting list: Administration of waiting list. (24 CFR Part 982)

In Force
Verified 8/18/2026 · Next check 9/17/2026
effective 5/25/2026FederalAffordable Housing ProgramsSection 8 HCV

Operative Text

24 C.F.R. § 982.204
(a) Admission from waiting list. Except for special admissions, participants must be selected from the PHA waiting list. The PHA must select participants from the waiting list in accordance with admission policies in the PHA Administrative Plan.

(b) Organization of waiting list. The PHA must maintain information that permits the PHA to select participants from the waiting list in accordance with the PHA admission policies. The waiting list must contain the following information for each applicant listed:

(1) Applicant name;

(2) Family unit size (number of bedrooms for which family qualifies under PHA occupancy standards);

(3) Date and time of application;

(4) Qualification for any local preference;

(5) Racial or ethnic designation of the head of household.

(c) Removing applicant names from the waiting list. (1) The PHA Administrative Plan must state PHA policy on when applicant names may be removed from the waiting list. The policy may provide that the PHA will remove names of applicants who do not respond to PHA requests for information or updates.

(2) An PHA decision to withdraw from the waiting list the name of an applicant family that includes a person with disabilities is subject to reasonable accommodation in accordance with 24 CFR part 8. If the applicant did not respond to the PHA request for information or updates because of the family member's disability, the PHA must reinstate the applicant in the family's former position on the waiting list.

(d) Family size. (1) The order of admission from the waiting list may not be based on family size, or on the family unit size for which the family qualifies under the PHA occupancy policy.

(2) If the PHA does not have sufficient funds to subsidize the family unit size of the family at the top of the waiting list, the PHA may not skip the top family to admit an applicant with a smaller family unit size. Instead, the family at the top of the waiting list will be admitted when sufficient funds are available.

(e) Funding for specified category of waiting list families. When HUD awards an PHA program funding for a specified category of families on the waiting list, the PHA must select applicant families in the specified category.

(f) Number of waiting lists. A PHA must use a single waiting list for admission to its Section 8 tenant-based assistance program. However, the PHA may use a separate single waiting list for such admissions for a county or municipality.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Section 982.204 governs how Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) must organize and administer their Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting lists. The rule requires that applicants generally be selected in the order they applied, following the PHA's written admission policies, and prohibits skipping families based on their size or the unit size they qualify for. It also establishes specific data that must be tracked for each applicant, sets standards for when names may be removed, and requires reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities who miss a request for information due to their disability.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 4, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under 24 CFR Part 982 § 982.204, the PHA — not individual landlords — bears the administrative responsibility for maintaining and drawing from the waiting list, so property owners participating in the Housing Choice Voucher program generally receive referrals from a PHA that is already bound by these rules. Compliant PHAs document each applicant's name, family unit size, application date and time, local preference qualifications, and racial or ethnic designation of the head of household. Landlords working with voucher holders can reference § 982.204 to understand why a PHA may not be able to immediately fill a unit if the next eligible family requires a larger subsidy than currently available funds allow.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Section 982.204 establishes that applicants for Section 8 tenant-based assistance have a right to be considered in accordance with the PHA's published admission policies, and that a PHA cannot skip over a family simply because of its size. If a household member's disability caused the family to miss a PHA request for information or updates, § 982.204(c)(2) provides that the PHA must reinstate the applicant at their original position on the waiting list as a reasonable accommodation. Applicants who believe their waiting list position has been improperly altered or that their removal was not handled in accordance with this provision may consider contacting their local PHA's grievance process, a HUD field office, or a tenant-rights or fair housing organization for general guidance.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Expression #1
May 25, 2026
Current
May 25, 2026
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Related Rules

§ 1437
Declaration of policy and public housing agency organization
§ 5.100
§ 5.100 Definitions.
§ 5.107
§ 5.107 Audit requirements for non-profit organizations.

Source Information

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