Waythrough is an independent resource, not DHA. 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 Denver Housing Authority, formally the Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver, is a quasi-municipal corporation that has provided affordable housing in Denver since 1938 and now serves over 31,100 people through more than 13,000 units and Housing Choice Vouchers. The single most important thing to understand about applying here is that DHA does not run a conventional Section 8 waiting list at all. It runs a lottery, once a year, and if you miss the registration window you wait a year for the next one. DHA has now published the dates. Its Housing Choice Voucher page reads "The 2027 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Lottery Opens September 17-18 for 48 Hours" and says the lottery "will open September 17, 12:00 a.m. to September 18, 11:59 p.m.", and the banner across denverhousing.org reads "Opens Sept. 17 | 48 Hours Only" (both checked September 8, 2026). This page explains how the lottery works, what else is open, and who to call.

Quick Facts

Serves: the City and County of Denver, Colorado
Phone: (720) 932-3023
Official site: www.denverhousing.org/
Apply: DHA application page
Status last checked: September 8, 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.

  • Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8): Registration opens September 17, 2026, 48 hours only, closing September 18, 2026 — There is no ongoing waiting list to join. DHA states: "Once annually the Denver Housing Authority holds an online lottery process on our website for interested applicants, 18 years of age and older." For the 2027 lottery DHA has now published the dates. Its Housing Choice Voucher page reads "The 2027 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Lottery Opens September 17-18 for 48 Hours" and says it "will open September 17, 12:00 a.m. to September 18, 11:59 p.m." (checked September 8, 2026). DHA's own entry form still read "The 2027 Lottery is Currently Closed" on that date; the form opens on September 17. DHA says entries "MUST be submitted on-line (through the internet) using ANY computer, tablet, or smart phone that has Internet access by going to DHA's website at www.denverhousing.org," and that "Only one computer entry can be submitted per household." To take part you must be "18 years of age or older" and "A U.S. citizen or eligible immigrant and have legal capacity to enter into a lease under state and local law." If you need a computer, DHA opens its Opportunity Centers at Westwood Homes, 855 South Irving Street, and North Lincoln Homes, 1401 Mariposa Street, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and warns that "DHA's Osage Street office WILL NOT be open for lottery entries."
  • Subsidized and public housing waiting lists: Closed — Closed (checked September 8, 2026). DHA's wait-list page reads: "There are no currently open lottery or pre-application lists." When they do open, DHA says "a public notice will run in four local newspapers in English and Spanish. (Denver Post, El Semanario, Denver Weekly and La Voz)." DHA describes three subsidized waiting lists organized by bedroom size and says "you may submit interest cards for all three waiting lists," and that reaching the top of a list typically takes 6 to 12 months once you are on it.
  • Individual DHA properties: Varies by property — DHA's availability page lists properties with their own status, several of which read "contact office for status" rather than open or closed, and at least one, Benedict Park Place, where "applications can be picked up at 305 Park Ave West, Denver, Co 80205." Because this is property by property and changes without announcement, call the Occupancy department at (720) 932-3020 to ask what is actually taking applications this week rather than working from the page alone.

Programs DHA Runs

  • Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8), awarded through an annual lottery
  • Subsidized and public housing at DHA properties
  • Project-Based Vouchers
  • Mixed-income and affordable developments
  • Homebuyer education
  • Youth and family services, including the Youth Employment Academy

How to Apply

Apply directly through the authority's official application page: www.denverhousing.org/housing-choice-vouchers-section8/. If you have already applied, call (720) 932-3023 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

  • The lottery is a registration, not an application, and it does not guarantee anything. DHA is explicit: "Lottery registration does not guarantee that your number will be drawn. The amount of lottery numbers drawn depends on available funding." After registration closes, "throughout the following year, as funds are available, DHA will randomly select lottery numbers via a computerized random selection process," and selected households are notified by mail within 120 days of a drawing. There are no scheduled drawing dates: DHA says "lottery numbers are drawn as funds are available, so, there are no specific dates."
  • Register once, and get the Social Security number right. DHA warns that duplicate entries disqualify every entry from that household, and that you should "be sure to enter your Social Security number correctly, you will need your Social Security to check your lottery status later." Registration takes under ten minutes and asks for name, Social Security number, date of birth, family size, income range and mailing address. Results are checked back on DHA's site using that same Social Security number, and DHA tells registrants to "print your confirmation page or make note of your lottery number."
  • Results lag by months, and that is normal. DHA's lottery results page currently covers "the lottery held in September 2025 only," and states that "information for the lottery held in September 2026 is expected to be available in January 2027." So if you register this September, do not read the silence through the autumn as a rejection.
  • DHA has two offices and a separate walk-in location for vouchers. The central office is at 1035 Osage St., open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The HCV and Section 8 walk-in office is at 1401 Mariposa Street, open Tuesday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mail goes to PO Box 40305, Santa Fe Drive Station, Denver, CO 80204. Portability questions have their own line at (720) 932-3220 and mailbox DHAPorts@denverhousing.org.
  • The Housing Authority of the City of Aurora is a separate agency next door. It serves Aurora, runs its own vouchers and affordable communities, and states that it "currently serves 2,000 households through voucher programs and 1,620 residents that reside in our affordable rental communities." Its main line is (720) 251-2100 and its office is at 2280 S Xanadu Way. A Denver lottery registration does not put you on Aurora's lists.

More Local Resources

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get on the Denver Section 8 waiting list?

You do not, because there is not one. DHA awards Housing Choice Vouchers through an annual online lottery instead of an open waiting list. You register during a short window once a year, and DHA then draws numbers at random through the following year as funding allows. For 2027 that window is September 17 and 18, 2026: DHA says the lottery "will open September 17, 12:00 a.m. to September 18, 11:59 p.m." (checked September 8, 2026). Register at denverhousing.org during those two days. DHA also warns that entries "do not carry over from year to year; persons must re-register each year," so a registration from a past year does not count.

When is the next Denver housing lottery?

September 17 and 18, 2026, and the window is only 48 hours. DHA's Housing Choice Voucher page says the 2027 lottery "will open September 17, 12:00 a.m. to September 18, 11:59 p.m.", and the banner on denverhousing.org reads "Opens Sept. 17 | 48 Hours Only" (both checked September 8, 2026). Register online at denverhousing.org. DHA says entries "MUST be submitted on-line (through the internet) using ANY computer, tablet, or smart phone that has Internet access," and that "Only one computer entry can be submitted per household." Have this ready before you start: "Name, social security number, date of birth, family size, income range and mailing address." DHA says the process "takes less than 10 minutes" and tells you to "be sure to enter your Social Security number correctly" and to "print your confirmation page or make note of your lottery number." You must be "18 years of age or older" and "A U.S. citizen or eligible immigrant." Never pay anyone to enter: DHA says "NEVER pay money to apply for housing!" After 11:59 p.m. on September 18 the window is shut until next year.

Does winning the lottery mean I get a voucher?

No, and DHA says so directly: "Lottery registration does not guarantee that your number will be drawn. The amount of lottery numbers drawn depends on available funding." Being drawn means DHA contacts you to begin eligibility screening. Households selected are notified by mail within 120 days of a drawing, and drawings happen through the year as funds allow rather than on set dates. Keep your mailing address current with DHA, because a letter you never receive is the most common way a drawn number goes to waste.

I registered. How do I check my lottery status?

Through DHA's lottery results page, using the Social Security number you entered on the application. Expect a wait: checked September 8, 2026, that page still covers "the lottery held in September 2025 only," and DHA says "information for the lottery held in September 2026 is expected to be available in January 2027." Also note DHA's warning that duplicate entries disqualify all entries from a household, so if you think someone in your household also registered, call (720) 932-3023 rather than registering again.

Is there anything open in Denver besides the lottery?

Not much right now, but it is worth checking rather than assuming. DHA's wait-list page read "There are no currently open lottery or pre-application lists" when we checked on September 8, 2026, and its availability page lists Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers as "Apply when lottery is open." That availability page is more mixed elsewhere: several DHA properties say to contact the office for status, and Benedict Park Place says applications "can be picked up at 305 Park Ave West, Denver, Co 80205." The Occupancy department at (720) 932-3020 is the right number to ask what is actually accepting applications.

What number should I call at DHA?

It depends on what you need, and calling the wrong one costs you a day. Housing Choice Voucher questions go to (720) 932-3023 or (720) 932-3168, or section8@denverhousing.org. Housing applications and the subsidized lists go to Occupancy at (720) 932-3020 or frontdoor@denverhousing.org. Portability, meaning moving a voucher in or out of Denver, is (720) 932-3220. Housing Management is (720) 932-3100, and Resident and Community Connections is (720) 932-3053.

Sources