Public Housing for Single Mothers

Public housing is rental housing owned and managed by local public housing agencies (PHAs) with federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program serves low-income families, older adults and persons with disabilities, and HUD counts a single parent with a child as a family.¹ Approximately 970,000 households live in public housing, managed by some 3,300 housing agencies.¹

Rent in public housing is tied to income, which makes the program a stable option for single-mother households that depend on one paycheck as rents rise. HUD sets the income limits and the basic eligibility rules. Each PHA accepts applications and manages its own waiting list, so the application route and the wait differ by area.

This guide explains how public housing works, who qualifies, how local preferences affect a place on the waiting list and how to apply.

How Public Housing Works for Single-Parent Families

What is the difference between public housing and Section 8?

Public housing consists of apartments and houses owned and managed by a housing agency, so the household rents a specific unit. The Housing Choice Voucher program, known as Section 8, instead gives the household a subsidy to rent a unit from a private landlord.¹²

How is rent calculated in public housing?

HUD calls the rent the Total Tenant Payment. It is based on the household’s anticipated gross annual income less allowed deductions, including a deduction for each dependent.⁵ Generally, the household pays the highest of 30 percent of monthly adjusted income, 10 percent of monthly income, welfare rent if applicable, or the agency’s minimum rent, which the agency may set at up to $50.⁵ A public housing household may also choose a flat rent set by the agency in place of an income-based rent.⁵

For example, a household with an adjusted income of $1,500 a month would pay about $450 a month, which is 30 percent. The agency calculates the actual amount after verifying income and deductions.

Eligibility Criteria and Income Limits

What are the income limits for public housing?

HUD sets three income limits for each county or metropolitan area, based on the area median income (AMI).⁶

The Section 8 calculator shows all three limits for any county and household size.

Does a single parent with children count as a family?

Yes. HUD defines a family to include a single person and a family with or without children, so a single parent with one or more children qualifies as a family.⁷ Eligibility still depends on income, U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status and the agency’s screening.¹

What citizenship and background requirements apply?

HUD requires U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status. The agency also checks references, including current and previous landlords, and may deny admission to an applicant whose habits and practices may be expected to have a detrimental effect on other tenants or on the project’s environment.¹

Federal rules require agencies to prohibit admission in specific cases:⁸

• A household member was evicted from federally assisted housing for drug-related criminal activity within the past three years.
• A household member was convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine on the premises of federally assisted housing.
• A household member is subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement.

Other screening standards, including how prior evictions are weighed, are set in each agency’s admissions policy.

Waiting List Priority for Single Mothers

Do single mothers get priority on the public housing waiting list?

Federal rules do not give single mothers a nationwide priority. Each agency may adopt local preferences that reflect needs in its own community, and the agency must inform applicants of the preferences available and give applicants an opportunity to show that they qualify.⁹ The preferences appear in the agency’s written policy manual, and applicants should ask which ones the agency honors.¹

Federal rules describe several preferences an agency may adopt:⁹

• Working families. Families in which the head, spouse or sole member is employed.
• Families that include a person with a disability.
• Survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking. An agency should consider adopting this preference.

HUD also lists living in substandard housing as an example of a circumstance that may qualify a family for a preference.¹ An agency may adopt other preferences, such as for homelessness, if they reflect local housing needs.⁹

How does the Violence Against Women Act protect survivors in public housing?

An applicant or tenant may not be denied admission to, denied assistance under, terminated from or evicted from covered housing on the basis of, or as a direct result of, being a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking.¹⁰

How long is the wait for public housing?

Demand often exceeds the resources available, so long waiting periods are common, and an agency may close its waiting list when more families are on it than the agency can assist in the near future.¹ The wait differs by agency. The agency can state whether its list is open and how long applicants are currently waiting.

Step-by-Step: How to Apply for Public Housing

1. Locate the local PHA. Use HUD’s public housing contacts directory  or the local housing authority page. If the agency cannot be reached, contact the local HUD field office.¹

2. Gather the required documentation. The application asks for the name, sex, date of birth and relationship to the household head of every person who would live in the unit, an estimate of the household’s income for the next twelve months and its sources, the names and addresses of current and previous landlords, and the employers and banks that can verify income and deductions.¹

   The agency verifies the information with documents such as birth certificates and tax returns.¹ Agencies may also ask for photo identification, Social Security cards, pay stubs and award letters for TANF, SNAP or child support, and the application lists what the agency requires.

3. Submit the preliminary application. The application must be written, and either the applicant or an agency representative fills it out.¹ Each agency decides whether to accept applications online, by mail or in person.

4. Confirm the waiting list status. The agency must provide written notice. If the household is eligible, its name goes on the waiting list unless the agency can assist right away, and the agency contacts the household when its name is reached.¹

   Keep the application number and report any change of address, income or household size to the agency. An applicant found ineligible may request an informal hearing, and the agency must state why.¹

5. Complete the eligibility interview and verification. The agency requests the documents needed to verify the application, relies on direct verification from employers and asks the applicant to sign a release of information. The agency may also visit the applicant’s current home. An applicant who accepts a unit signs a lease and may be asked for a security deposit.¹

Emergency Housing Options While on the Waiting List

Waiting lists can run long, and several sources of help are available in the meantime:

• 2-1-1. The 2-1-1 helpline connects callers to local help, and every call is confidential.¹¹
• Domestic violence services. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available by calling 800-799-7233, by live chat at thehotline.org or by texting START to 88788.¹²
• Emergency shelter. HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grants program funds emergency shelters and the essential services provided to families in them.¹³
• Rapid re-housing. The same program funds housing relocation and stabilization services and short-term or medium-term rental assistance to help a homeless family move into permanent housing as quickly as possible.¹⁴
• Local rent and utility help. The housing assistance guide describes rent help from the Salvation Army and house-sharing for single mothers, and the city directory lists local organizations by city.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I apply for public housing in more than one city or county?

Yes. Each agency keeps its own waiting list, so an applicant may apply to every agency whose list is open. Check each agency’s application rules and local preferences.

Does child support count against the public housing income limit?

Yes. Annual income includes all amounts received from all sources by each family member age 18 or older, and unearned income received by or on behalf of each dependent under age 18, unless a rule specifically excludes the amount.¹⁵ Child support is unearned income received on behalf of a child and is not on the list of exclusions.¹⁵

What happens if my income increases while living in public housing?

The agency re-examines income at least once every 12 months, and rent is based on income, so a higher income generally means a higher rent.¹ A household may remain in public housing as long as it complies with the lease. If the household’s income is enough to obtain housing on the private market, the agency may determine whether the household should stay.¹

Can I be evicted if my child turns 18?

No. A child reaching age 18 is not a lease violation. The change affects how the household is counted: income earned by a child under age 18 is excluded, and earnings of a household member age 18 or older are counted.¹⁵ A household member age 18 or older is a dependent only if the member is a person with a disability or a full-time student, which affects the dependent deduction.¹⁶