Affordable Housing in Sacramento, CA

This page collects the specific programs, agencies, phone numbers, and rules that apply in Sacramento and Sacramento County — not generic Section 8 advice. SHRA does not publish an open-or-closed status on its own site; it manages 12 different wait lists and points applicants to its own portal, sacwaitlist.com, to check them. The realistic short-term path is one-time help through SHRA's prevention partner network and the named shelters and nonprofits below. Sacramento renters also have California's strong AB 1482/SB 567 tenant protections including just cause from day one and statewide source-of-income protection.

Emergency Help Tonight in Sacramento

If you need a safe place to sleep tonight or are facing an imminent eviction, these are the local resources to contact first:

• Sacramento Steps Forward — Coordinated Access — the regional intake hub for homeless services and the lead agency for the Sacramento Continuum of Care. The 2026 Point-In-Time Count documented 7,458 people experiencing homelessness, a 13% increase. (916) 577-2862 · sacramentostepsforward.org
• Loaves & Fishes — daily meals, day shelter (Friendship Park), and a full campus of partner services at 1351 North C St. Serves about 800 hot meals each day. (916) 446-5160 · sacloaves.org
• Maryhouse (Loaves & Fishes program) — day shelter for women and children
• Mustard Seed School (Loaves & Fishes program) — accredited school for children experiencing homelessness
• Mercy Pedalers / Mercy Primary Care — street medicine and a no-cost primary care clinic for unhoused residents
• Salvation Army Center of Hope — 100+ bed shelter for adult men, plus rehabilitation programs. (916) 412-4110
• Sacramento Self-Help Housing — shared housing, transitional housing, and family reunification
• Saint John's Program for Real Change — long-term shelter and self-sufficiency programming for women and children. (916) 453-8030
• WEAVE — domestic violence and sexual assault shelter and 24-hour support line. (916) 920-2952
• Wind Youth Services — overnight emergency shelter for youth ages 12-24. (916) 443-1213
• Volunteers of America Northern California (VOA) — multiple Sacramento shelters including the Mather Community Campus and Family Shelter. (916) 442-3379
• 211 Sacramento — free 24/7 information line. Dial 211 or text your ZIP to 898-211

For a full walkthrough of finding shelter the first night, see our emergency housing tonight guide.

Section 8 in Sacramento: SHRA Status and How to Apply

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in the Sacramento region are administered by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), which acts as both the Housing Authority of the City of Sacramento and the Housing Authority of the County of Sacramento (covering all incorporated cities in the county). Current status (checked September 9, 2026):

• SHRA does not publish an open-or-closed status. Its own words: "The Housing Authority manages 12 different wait lists, which open and close based on availability and other factors... For current information on status of open and closed wait lists, please refer to www.sacwaitlist.com." That portal is SHRA's own designated status system, so it is where to look
• SHRA's news archive records no 2026 voucher waitlist opening. Its 2026 releases are office-closure notices; the most recent waitlist announcement found is "Project Based Voucher Elderly Housing Wait List Opens June 24, 2025." Do not act on a 2026 opening date from anywhere else
• If you already applied: SHRA contacts selected households directly. You do NOT need to do anything until contacted; check sacwaitlist.com periodically for status. Watch your email and mail — losing contact means losing your spot
• Public Housing waitlist: separate from the voucher list; check sacwaitlist.com for current status
• Specialty referrals still accepted: HUD-VASH (veterans), Family Unification Program (FUP), Mainstream vouchers, Foster Youth to Independence vouchers
• Contact: SHRA Communications Center (916) 440-1390 · shra.org
• Other Sacramento-area authorities: Roseville Housing Authority, Yolo County Housing, and the Housing Authority of the City and County of San Francisco run separate lists. Apply to multiple authorities to improve your odds

For the national application process, see our step-by-step Section 8 guide.

Emergency Rental Assistance in Sacramento (Named Programs)

If you're behind on rent or can't pay this month, these are the local programs currently operating. Funding shifts month to month — always call to confirm current availability:

• SHRA Emergency Rental Assistance & Eviction Prevention — SHRA continues to administer targeted prevention dollars through community partner agencies. Apply through the partner network listed at shra.org or call (916) 440-1390
• Sacramento Self-Help Housing — rental assistance combined with shared-housing placement. sacselfhelp.org
• Sacramento Family Housing Collaborative — coordinated rapid rehousing for families with minor children
• Sacramento Steps Forward — Diversion — flexible one-time funds to prevent shelter entry. Access through 211 or coordinated entry
• Catholic Charities of California — Sacramento — rental assistance, utility help, and case management. (916) 452-5400
• Volunteers of America (VOA) — rental and utility assistance. (916) 442-3379
• Salvation Army Sacramento County Coordinator's Office — eviction prevention and utility help
• St. Vincent de Paul Sacramento Diocese — one-time emergency rental and utility help through local parish conferences
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Energy Assistance Program Rate (EAPR) and PG&E CARE/FERA — utility discount programs that free up cash for rent
• 211 Sacramento — screens you and routes you to whichever provider has funds open this month

The Sacramento Emergency Rental Assistance Program (SERAP / ERA1+ERA2) has ended

The pandemic-era SERAP, which distributed $128M+ in federal ERA1 and ERA2 dollars between 2021-2023, has closed. All funds are gone. Current paths are SHRA's prevention partner network and the nonprofit options above. Don't waste time on closed pandemic portals.

Tenant Rights in California (Sacramento)

California has the strongest tenant protections of any state outside of New York. Sacramento tenants are covered by:

• Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), now amended by SB 567 (effective April 1, 2024) — caps annual rent increases at the lower of 5% plus local CPI or 10%. As of 2026, that ceiling is typically around 8.6-9.6% in the Sacramento region depending on the CPI measure. Requires just cause for evictions of any tenant — under SB 567, just-cause protections now apply from day one of tenancy (instead of after 12 months). Exempted: single-family homes owned by an individual (not a corporation), buildings less than 15 years old, owner-occupied duplexes
• Sacramento Tenant Protection and Relief Act (Sacramento City Code Chapter 5.156) — the City of Sacramento layers stricter just-cause and rent stabilization rules on certain pre-1995 buildings of 4+ units. Annual rent increases for covered units are limited to 6% + CPI capped at 10%. Check whether your building is covered at cityofsacramento.gov/community-development/code-compliance/tenant-protection
• 3-day pay-or-quit notice for nonpayment (CCP § 1161). Excludes weekends and judicial holidays. Paying the full amount within those 3 court days defeats the eviction
• Unlawful Detainer process — California eviction trials are typically held 15-30 days after filing in Sacramento County Superior Court. Faster than NC or TX, slower than AZ
• Security deposit cap (Cal Civ Code § 1950.5) — two months' rent for unfurnished units, three months for furnished (changed by AB 12 effective July 1, 2024 to a flat one-month cap for most landlords). Must be returned within 21 days of move-out with itemized statement
• Source-of-income protection (Cal Gov Code § 12955) — California prohibits landlords from refusing Section 8 vouchers or other government rental assistance. This is a statewide protection that applies in Sacramento
• Right to organize (Civ Code § 1942.5) — landlords cannot retaliate against tenant organizing
• Self-help eviction is illegal (Civ Code § 789.3) — utility shutoff or lockout damages are $100/day plus actual damages
• Anti-Price Gouging during emergencies (Penal Code § 396) — caps rent increases at 10% during declared states of emergency. Sacramento has been under repeated wildfire-related emergency orders
• Fair housing: the California Fair Employment and Housing Act protects beyond federal categories, including source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and ancestry

For free legal help: Legal Services of Northern California at (916) 551-5554 — eviction defense and fair housing. Sacramento County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service at (916) 564-6202. For state-level details, see our California housing resources.

Other Housing Programs in Sacramento

• Public housing: SHRA owns and manages public-housing communities across Sacramento. Waitlist managed via sacwaitlist.com
• LIHTC (Tax Credit): Sacramento has substantial LIHTC inventory. Search HUD's LIHTC database for Sacramento County properties
• HUD-VASH (veterans): Sacramento veterans are referred through the VA Northern California Health Care System (Mather VA)
• Rapid Rehousing & Permanent Supportive Housing — coordinated through Sacramento Steps Forward
• Sacramento Affordable Housing Trust Fund — city-funded development of new affordable units
• CalHFA programs — California Housing Finance Agency first-time homebuyer and down-payment assistance. calhfa.ca.gov
• HUD-approved housing counseling: find a counselor through the HUD counselor locator

Next Steps

Not sure which program is right for you? Our Where to Start tool asks a few quick questions about your situation and routes you to the right combination of programs.

SHRA points applicants to its own portal, sacwaitlist.com, for which of its 12 wait lists are open — check there rather than relying on a date from elsewhere. If you already applied, watch sacwaitlist.com and your email for selection notifications. For rent help, call (916) 440-1390 or 211 to route through SHRA's partner network. If you got a 3-day notice, contact Legal Services of Northern California at (916) 551-5554 the same day — California source-of-income protection makes a voucher legally enforceable against refusal.