Waythrough is an independent resource, not BHA. We summarize public information to help you get oriented. For applications and the most current waiting-list status, always use the official links below.

The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) is the public housing authority for the City of Boston. Here is the headline most people miss: BHA's Section 8 tenant-based voucher waiting list is closed, but its public housing waiting lists are still taking applications. Those are two different things with two different applications, and being turned away from one does not mean you are shut out of the other. This page summarizes what BHA itself publishes about each list, plus the statewide Massachusetts programs that sit alongside them, and links to the official pages for anything time-sensitive.

Quick Facts

Serves: the City of Boston, Massachusetts
Phone: (617) 988-4000
Official site: www.bostonhousing.org/
Apply: BHA application page
Status last checked: July 30, 2026

Waiting-List Status

Waiting lists open and close frequently, so treat the status below as a starting point and confirm on the official site before you rely on it.

  • Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (tenant-based): Closed — Closed (checked July 30, 2026). BHA states: "BHA is not currently able to accept new applications for the Tenant-Based Program and the waiting list is closed until further notice." Two things to know. First, BHA's Housing Choice Voucher administrative plan says it "will give at least two weeks advance public notice that a Family may apply for housing assistance before opening any waiting list" — so there will be warning, but only about two weeks of it. Second, the same plan says that while the list is closed BHA "will not maintain a list of individuals who wish to be notified when the waiting list is reopened." Nobody will call you. You have to watch bostonhousing.org yourself.
  • Public housing — federal and City of Boston funded: Accepting applications — Open to new applicants (checked July 30, 2026). BHA states that "new applicants may apply to public housing programs, the Project-Based voucher program and the Mod Rehab program." Apply online at boston.myhousing.com. Federal developments require the applicant to be at least 62 and/or disabled where the development is designated for elderly or disabled households.
  • Public housing — state-aided: Accepting applications — A separate application from the federal and city list above — you should file both. BHA links it as the "State Housing Application"; Massachusetts brands the same system CHAMP, the Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Programs, at publichousingapplication.ocd.state.ma.us. Note the age rule differs: state-funded developments require applicants to be at least 60 and/or disabled, while federal developments require 62 and/or disabled (checked July 30, 2026).
  • Project-Based Voucher and Mod Rehab: Accepting applications (Priority One only) — These lists are open, but BHA states that "for most Leased Housing/Section 8 programs and Moderate Rehabilitation applicants must be qualified as Priority One status," and that applicants "must provide proof of their Priority One status when submitting their application." Ask BHA what documents establish Priority One before you apply (checked July 30, 2026).
  • Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) — BHA's allocation: Closed — BHA lists its MRVP allocation as "currently closed to new applicants" (checked July 30, 2026). This is separate from the statewide MRVP list — see the section below, because the statewide answer is different and staff at either agency may tell you something that sounds contradictory.
  • City of Boston Voucher Program: By referral only — Not something you can apply for directly. BHA states that clients "cannot apply directly to the BHA for the CBVP" and that it uses "a closed referral system" through partner organizations.

Programs BHA Runs

  • Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, tenant-based
  • Federal and City of Boston funded public housing
  • State-aided public housing
  • Project-Based Voucher and Moderate Rehabilitation programs
  • City of Boston Voucher Program (referral only)
  • Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP)

How to Apply

Apply directly through the authority's official application page: boston.myhousing.com/. If you have already applied, call (617) 988-4000 to verify your position and keep your contact information current — if the authority cannot reach you when your name comes up, you can be dropped from the list.

New to the process? Our step-by-step guide to applying for Section 8 walks through the whole thing, and how to find your PHA helps you locate the right authority.

Other Authorities Serving This Area

  • Statewide Section 8, run by EOHLC, is closed. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities states: "Effective January 13, 2025, EOHLC has closed its HCVP/Section 8 mobile voucher waiting list until further notice," and that applications "will not be accepted by EOHLC or its regional administering agencies (RAA) on or after January 13, 2025." So the statewide list is not a fallback for BHA's closed list right now.
  • Statewide MRVP: the list is open, but vouchers are not being issued. Both halves matter. Massachusetts confirms that "people can still apply for mobile and project-based MRVP and mobile AHVP in CHAMP" — but a notice dated January 22, 2025 states that "as of today, January 22, 2025, LHAs and RAAs may no longer pull any new MRVP mobile lists," and the state confirms that "mobile voucher issuance pauses are still in effect for MRVP and AHVP." You can join the list; you should not expect a mobile voucher from it while the pause holds. Applying anyway still makes sense — it preserves your application date.
  • One statement on mass.gov does not apply to Boston. The state's rental assistance page says you can still join the Section 8 waitlist administered by local housing authorities. That is not true of BHA, whose tenant-based list is closed. Check each authority individually.
  • Expect a long wait even once you are on a list. BHA states that "the waiting time for housing can vary by waiting list and can be over ten years from your date of application," depending on bedroom size, unit type, and your priority and preference points.

More Local Resources

For the full picture of affordable housing in this area — emergency shelter, rental assistance, tenant rights, and legal aid — see our Boston housing resources page and our MA state resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Boston Section 8 waiting list open?

No. As of July 30, 2026, BHA's tenant-based Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is closed until further notice. But do not stop there — BHA's public housing waiting lists are still accepting applications, and those are a separate application. BHA is also still issuing some tenant-based vouchers under narrow circumstances, including through HUD-VASH for veterans — BHA's HUD-VASH inquiry line is (857) 364-6753 — and for households who have lived in a project-based program for at least a year.

Can I still apply for public housing in Boston?

Yes. This is the most useful thing on this page. BHA runs two separate public housing applications and you should file both. Federal and City of Boston funded developments are applied for at boston.myhousing.com. State-aided developments are applied for through the state's application, which Massachusetts calls CHAMP, at publichousingapplication.ocd.state.ma.us. The age rules differ — 62 and/or disabled for federal developments, 60 and/or disabled for state-funded ones — so you may qualify for one before the other.

Will BHA notify me when the Section 8 list reopens?

No, and this catches people out. BHA's administrative plan states that while the waiting list is closed, BHA "will not maintain a list of individuals who wish to be notified when the waiting list is reopened." It also commits to giving "at least two weeks advance public notice" before opening any waiting list. Two weeks is not long, so check bostonhousing.org yourself on a regular schedule, and call the Status Information Line at (617) 988-3400, Monday through Wednesday from 11am to 2pm.

Is the Massachusetts state voucher list open?

It depends which one, and the honest answer has two halves. The statewide Section 8 list run by EOHLC closed on January 13, 2025 and remains closed. The statewide MRVP list is still open for applications through CHAMP — but MRVP mobile voucher issuance has been paused since January 22, 2025 and the pause is still in effect, and BHA's own MRVP allocation is separately closed to new applicants. It is still worth applying through CHAMP to establish your application date; just do not plan around receiving a mobile voucher while the pause continues.

Can I visit BHA in person?

Yes — but call first, and know which building you need. BHA uses two adjacent buildings on Chauncy Street and gives them different jobs. 56 Chauncy Street is the Central Office and Housing Service Center, open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm; that is where application questions are handled. 52 Chauncy Street is the address on BHA's contact page and houses the Occupancy Department, open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with a drop box outside for handing in documents after hours. Both are in Downtown Crossing, a minute apart. Numbers worth saving: main switchboard (617) 988-4000; Leased Housing (617) 988-4400; application status (617) 988-3400, Monday through Wednesday 11am to 2pm; grievances and appeals (617) 988-4579; HUD-VASH inquiries (857) 364-6753; translation line (617) 988-4001.

Sources