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

If you are searching for the "Virginia Beach Redevelopment and Housing Authority," here is the key thing to know: there isn't one. Unlike Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and most of its Hampton Roads neighbors, Virginia Beach has no separate redevelopment and housing authority. Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers here are run by a department of the city government, the Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation, which states plainly that it "administers the federally funded Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program for Virginia Beach." HUD lists it as PHA VA039 under the name "Va. Beach Dept. of Hsg and Neighborhood Pres." This page explains how that department works, what its waiting-list status actually is, how to reach the right people, and what your options are in the neighboring cities that do run public housing.

Quick Facts

Serves: the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Phone: (757) 385-5750
Official site: housing.virginiabeach.gov/
Apply: HNP application page
Status last checked: August 25, 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 August 25, 2026). The department's own wording is: "The waiting list for the Virginia Beach HCV program is closed and no new applications are being accepted." Its waiting-list FAQ adds the detail that matters most: "The Housing Choice Voucher waiting list for Virginia Beach reopened on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, and closed the same day." No reopening date has been set. If you applied in 2021, the department says "the easiest way to check the status of your application any time is to log into your account at www.assistancecheck.com."
  • Public housing in Virginia Beach: Does not exist — There is no city-run public housing to apply for. HUD's PHA contact report lists VA039 with a program type of "Section 8," and the department's own site lists vouchers, homeless services, housing development, rehabilitation and code enforcement, with no public housing program. If you specifically want public housing, you have to apply to a neighboring city's authority instead, and those are separate agencies with separate lists.
  • Chesapeake public housing (Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority): Closed — The nearest public housing authority, and it is closed too. CRHA's waiting-list page reads: "The Public Housing Waiting List is currently closed and we are not accepting applications at this time." You can check an existing application through its MyHousing portal. Occupancy office (757) 470-5860, main line (757) 523-0401, 1468 S. Military Hwy, Chesapeake (checked August 25, 2026).

Programs HNP Runs

  • Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
  • Homeless services and the Regional Housing Crisis Hotline
  • Housing development and affordable-housing production
  • Home rehabilitation for owner-occupied and manufactured homes
  • Housing code enforcement

How to Apply

Apply directly through the authority's official application page: housing.virginiabeach.gov/housing-choice-voucher. If you have already applied, call (757) 385-5750 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

  • There is no Virginia Beach Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and searching for one wastes time. Aggregator sites list a "Virginia Beach Redevelopment and Housing Authority" because most Virginia cities have one. Virginia Beach does not. The city department at (757) 385-5750 is the whole answer, and its Rental Housing division is the part that handles vouchers: administrator N. Lynn Carter, (757) 385-5745, RentalHsgDivision@VBgov.com.
  • Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) is a genuinely separate agency next door, running both vouchers and public housing for the City of Norfolk with its own waiting lists. Main line (757) 623-1111. Applying in Virginia Beach does not put you on Norfolk's list, and the reverse is also true.
  • Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority (CRHA) runs public housing and vouchers for Chesapeake from 1468 S. Military Hwy. Its public housing list is closed as of August 25, 2026, but it describes itself as "a political subdivision of Virginia with a nine-member Board of Commissioners appointed by Chesapeake's City Council" and posts openings on its own site. Occupancy (757) 470-5860.
  • If you need help this week rather than a place on a list, the department points to the Regional Housing Crisis Hotline at (757) 227-5932, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and to the Housing Resource Center at 104 N. Witchduck Road, open for walk-ins Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon. That is the front door for people experiencing or facing homelessness, and it is not the same thing as the voucher waiting list.

More Local Resources

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a Virginia Beach Redevelopment and Housing Authority?

No. Virginia Beach does not have a redevelopment and housing authority, even though most Virginia cities do and many directory sites list one. The Housing Choice Voucher program for the city is run by the City of Virginia Beach Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation, which states that it "administers the federally funded Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program for Virginia Beach." HUD lists the department itself as the public housing agency, PHA code VA039. The number to call is (757) 385-5750.

Is the Virginia Beach Section 8 waiting list open?

No. As of August 25, 2026 the department states: "The waiting list for the Virginia Beach HCV program is closed and no new applications are being accepted." The list has been closed for years. Its own FAQ says the list "reopened on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, and closed the same day," and no reopening date has been announced since. That one-day pattern is worth planning around: if it happens again, you will need to apply within hours, not weeks.

Why is the wait so long, and how many vouchers are there?

The department gives the reason directly: "The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has allotted a fixed number of vouchers for Virginia Beach. Vouchers only become available as current HCV participants leave the program." It reports that "more than 2,000 households, including families, seniors, persons with disabilities, and veterans are able to afford rental housing through the HCV program" in Virginia Beach, and its Rental Housing division provides more than $20 million a year in assistance to over 2,300 households. It also cautions that "applying for the waiting list does not guarantee admission to the HCV program."

What preferences does Virginia Beach use?

The department's waiting-list FAQ lists local preferences covering displacement, victims of domestic violence, homelessness, Virginia Beach residency, elderly or disabled status, veteran status, employment, families with children, and insufficient funding. It does not publish the point weightings, and it notes that how long any individual waits depends on which preferences a household matches, how many applications are on the list, and how many vouchers are turned over by departing participants. Confirm your own preference status with the Rental Housing division at (757) 385-5745.

I applied years ago. How do I check my place on the list?

Log in at www.assistancecheck.com, which the department names as "the easiest way to check the status of your application any time." There is also a fuller portal, Assistance Connect, described as "a secure website where you can access your case file, submit and track requests, communicate with Rental Housing staff, and more." You have to be set up for it: email VBAssistConnect@vbgov.com or call (757) 385-5787. Keep your address and phone current either way, because if the department cannot reach you when your name comes up, you can lose your place.

Where do I look for public housing near Virginia Beach?

In the neighboring cities, because Virginia Beach has none. Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, (757) 623-1111, runs public housing and vouchers for Norfolk. Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority, (757) 523-0401, runs them for Chesapeake, though as of August 25, 2026 its public housing list reads "currently closed and we are not accepting applications at this time." These are separate agencies with separate applications and separate residency preferences, so being on the Virginia Beach voucher list does not help you with either.

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