Waythrough is an independent resource, not MHA. 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 Memphis Housing Authority is the public housing agency for Memphis, and HUD lists it as PHA TN001 with a program type of Combined, meaning it runs both Housing Choice Vouchers and traditional public housing. If you came here looking for a Shelby County housing authority, the key thing to know is that HUD's current Tennessee list contains no separate Shelby County agency, and MHA's own materials describe serving "over 26,000 low-income families and individuals" across Memphis and Shelby County. This page covers what MHA's own pages say about each waiting list, which is not the same answer for vouchers and for public housing, the phone numbers that appear on its site rather than in HUD's directory, and the six-month rule that quietly removes people from the public housing list.

Quick Facts

Serves: Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee
Phone: (901) 544-1100
Official site: www.memphisha.org/
Apply: MHA application page
Status last checked: September 9, 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): Closed — Closed and not accepting applications (checked September 9, 2026). MHA's Applicant Information page states: "MHA's Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) waiting list is currently closed and is not accepting applications at this time." It adds that "MHA will publicly advertise when the waiting list re-opens." No reopening date is published anywhere on the site, and MHA's news page put roughly 15,000 applicants on the list.
  • Public Housing at five senior properties: Open — As of September 9, 2026 the dedicated public housing page reads, in MHA's own words and its own grammar, "A selected Public Housing Waitlists are OPEN!" and names five senior properties: Latham Terrace, 855 S. Fourth St., 1 and 2 bedroom, age 62 and over, 901-774-0151; Lyons Ridge, 1633 Pennsylvania St., 2 bedroom, age 55 to 61 and disabled or age 62 and over, 901-948-5165; Fairway Manor, 12 W. Fairway Ave., 2 bedroom, age 62 and over, 901-930-2878; Cleaborn Senior, 360 S. Lauderdale St., 2 bedroom, age 62 and over, 901-572-2303; and Legends North, 295 W. Red Sox Ln., 2 bedroom, age 62 and over, 901-244-3200. MHA publishes no closing date for any of them, so call the property before you travel.
  • Public Housing at every other site, and project-based lists: Closed — MHA's FAQ gives the pattern rather than a status: "Applications for Public Housing open when a site has units available," and the voucher list "opens once every few years" while "Project-Based Public Housing waitlists open as units become available at each site." Every site-based opening MHA has announced since 2021 has already closed, the most recent being South City Senior in November 2024. Nothing else is open that MHA publishes.

Programs MHA Runs

  • Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
  • Public Housing at MHA managed and privately managed properties
  • Project-Based Vouchers and project-based rental assistance at RAD converted properties

How to Apply

Apply directly through the authority's official application page: myportal-memphisha.securecafe.com/onlineleasing/memphis-housing-authority/guestlogin.aspx. If you have already applied, call (901) 544-1100 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

  • Millington Housing Authority runs its own small public housing program north of the city, at 4888 Bill Knight Avenue, Millington TN 38053, (901) 872-2038. HUD lists it as TN045 with a program type of Low-Rent. It is the only other public housing agency in the Shelby County area on HUD's current list.
  • Shelby County government's Department of Housing is not a housing authority and runs no voucher list. It funds rehabilitation and down payment assistance through CDBG, taking applications at portal.neighborlysoftware.com, and its own FAQ refers Section 8 questions elsewhere (develop901.com).

More Local Resources

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a Shelby County housing authority?

Not a separate one today. HUD's current Tennessee PHA contact report lists no agency named Shelby County, and MHA describes itself as serving "over 26,000 low-income families and individuals" across Memphis and Shelby County. A HUD Office of Inspector General audit dated January 24, 2012 shows that a Shelby County housing authority existed then and ran both public housing and vouchers, but no MHA, HUD or county page states what became of it, so we are not going to guess at a merger nobody documented. The other agency in the area is Millington Housing Authority, HUD code TN045, (901) 872-2038. Shelby County government's own Department of Housing is a different kind of body: it funds rehabilitation and down payment assistance and sends Section 8 questions elsewhere.

Which Memphis waiting lists are actually open right now?

As of September 9, 2026, five senior public housing lists and nothing else. MHA's public housing page says "A selected Public Housing Waitlists are OPEN!" and names Latham Terrace, Lyons Ridge, Fairway Manor, Cleaborn Senior and Legends North. All five are age restricted: four at 62 and over, and Lyons Ridge also at 55 to 61 for people with a disability. The Housing Choice Voucher list is closed. MHA publishes no closing date for the five, and property lists can change without notice, so call the property directly before you make the trip.

I am already on a public housing waiting list. Do I have to do anything?

Yes, every six months, and this is the single most common way people lose a place they have waited years for. MHA's public housing page states: "If you are already on a Public Housing waiting list, you must confirm your continued interest every six (6) months through the Applicant Portal. Please ensure your contact information is accurate and up to date. Failure to update your information may result in removal from the waiting list." Log into the applicant portal, confirm your interest, and keep your address and phone number current.

How does MHA choose people off the voucher waiting list?

Randomly, not by the date you applied. MHA's waiting list information page says "Everyone was added to the waitlist in a random order," and its application instructions state that "Applicant selection and ranking will be determined randomly, not by when the pre-application was submitted." Only one pre-application per person is allowed. When your name reaches the top, MHA says it will notify you by first-class mail, which means an out-of-date address can cost you the voucher outright.

Are there preferences that move me up the list?

For public housing, yes. MHA's Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy lists a veterans preference for applicants whose head or co-head is an eligible veteran, a displacement preference covering a presidentially declared natural disaster, governmental action or domestic violence, and an upward mobility preference for households with an adult who is employed or in job training, including training required of people receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. For the Housing Choice Voucher program MHA publishes no preference categories at all, and the only selection statement on its site says random. Do not assume the public housing preferences carry over to vouchers.

What number should I actually call?

(901) 544-1100 is MHA's main number, and it appears labeled as theirs on three of its own pages. For voucher questions, HCVP customer service is (901) 544-1347. For public housing waiting list or applicant portal problems, call (901) 544-1107 or email phwaitlist@memphisha.org. HUD's directory lists (901) 544-1146 for TN001, a number that appears on no MHA page we could find, so use the ones above. MHA also warns that because of call volume, "calls, emails, and voicemails are answered within 2 business days."

When is the voucher office actually open?

General office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, but MHA's own pages disagree about Fridays for the voucher program. Three of them, the homepage, the About HCV Program page and the Contact HCVP page, give Monday through Thursday 8am to 4pm by drop-off and appointment and then say "Friday: HCVP Closed for Administrative Purposes." A fourth, Office Hours and Directions, lists Friday drop-off hours instead. We publish the three-page majority: do not count on Friday for voucher business, and call first if that is your only option.

What do I need to have ready before I apply?

MHA asks for documentation of proof of birth, Social Security numbers, income, assets and expenses for everyone in the household, plus legal identity and citizenship or eligible immigrant status. It also asks for non-certified criminal history reports for every member 18 and over, covering the counties they have lived in or been arrested in over the past three years. MHA states the income test as household income less than half of the median income for the City of Memphis, measured before taxes.

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