Your complete resource for understanding the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program — eligibility, applications, finding approved apartments, and tracking waitlists nationwide.
Wyoming has one of the smallest populations of any U.S. state, but residents still face real housing cost pressures — particularly in areas near tourism corridors, energy industry hubs, and college towns. The federal Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, commonly called Section 8, operates in Wyoming just as it does nationwide: federally funded through HUD, locally administered by Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), and designed to help income-eligible households afford privately owned rental housing.
The core mechanics are straightforward. A household that receives a voucher pays a portion of rent directly to their landlord — typically calculated as 30% of their adjusted monthly income — while the PHA pays the remainder to the landlord through a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract. The unit itself must pass a housing quality inspection and meet rent reasonableness standards before any assistance begins.
Wyoming has several PHAs operating across the state, including authorities serving Laramie, Casper, Cheyenne, and other communities. Each PHA sets its own payment standards — the maximum subsidy it will pay toward rent and utilities in its local market — based on HUD's published Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for that area. Payment standards in a rural Wyoming county will differ from those in a higher-cost tourist-adjacent community.
Eligibility for the HCV program is based primarily on household income relative to Area Median Income (AMI). HUD publishes income limits for every county and metropolitan area annually, organized by household size.
| Income Limit Category | General Threshold |
|---|---|
| Very Low Income | At or below 50% of AMI |
| Extremely Low Income | At or below 30% of AMI |
| Low Income | At or below 80% of AMI |
PHAs are generally required to target a significant share of new vouchers to households at or below 30% of AMI. Because Wyoming's median incomes and housing costs vary considerably between, say, a rural agricultural county and a resort-area community, the specific dollar figures attached to each income tier shift from one PHA jurisdiction to another.
Additional eligibility factors include:
Demand for vouchers generally exceeds supply, and Wyoming's PHAs are no exception. Most PHAs open their waitlists only periodically — sometimes for just a few days — before closing them again. When a waitlist opens, PHAs may use first-come-first-served placement or a lottery system, depending on their local policies.
Many PHAs also maintain preference categories that move certain applicants higher on the waitlist. Common preferences include:
Wait times across Wyoming PHAs vary widely. A smaller PHA with fewer active vouchers may have a shorter list than a larger urban PHA with high demand. Current wait times are only reliably obtained directly from each PHA.
Once a household reaches the top of the waitlist, they attend a briefing — a required informational session where the PHA explains program rules, responsibilities, and the search process. The household then receives their voucher and a set period of time (the voucher term) to find an eligible unit.
The unit must:
If rent exceeds the payment standard, the tenant may pay the difference — but HUD rules cap how much of a household's income can go toward rent at initial lease-up.
Landlord participation is voluntary in Wyoming, and the density of participating landlords varies by community. In smaller Wyoming towns, finding a landlord willing to accept vouchers can be one of the most significant practical challenges for voucher holders.
When a landlord agrees to rent to a voucher holder, they enter into a HAP contract with the PHA. The PHA's portion of rent is paid directly to the landlord on a regular schedule. Landlords must keep units in compliance with inspection standards and cannot charge voucher tenants more than they charge unassisted tenants for comparable units.
Households that have been on the HCV program for at least 12 months — or who were already living in their initial PHA's jurisdiction when they applied — may be eligible to port their voucher to another PHA, including out of state. The process involves the initial PHA (where the voucher was issued) coordinating with the receiving PHA (the destination jurisdiction).
Portability timelines and billing arrangements between PHAs can affect how quickly a household can complete a move. Each PHA's portability policies, payment standards, and available units differ — meaning outcomes for portable vouchers depend heavily on the destination market.
HCV participants undergo annual recertification, where income, household composition, and continued eligibility are reviewed. If income increases, the household's share of rent typically increases. If income decreases, the subsidy may increase. Households are generally required to report significant income changes between annual reviews through an interim change process.
Changes in household composition — someone moving in or out — also require PHA notification and may affect the voucher size or calculated subsidy.
A PHA may deny an application or terminate assistance based on factors including program rule violations, failure to meet inspection requirements, fraud, or criminal history findings. Applicants and participants generally have the right to request an informal hearing to contest a denial or termination. The procedures, deadlines, and standards for those hearings are set by each PHA's administrative plan.
The specific grounds, timelines, and outcomes of informal hearings depend entirely on the facts of a given case, the PHA's policies, and applicable HUD regulations — none of which translate into a predictable result across households.
What any Wyoming household can actually expect from the HCV program — their wait time, subsidy amount, eligible units, and practical options — depends on which PHA serves their area, their household's income and composition, and the current state of their local rental market.
Select your state to view local waitlists, PHAs, and application information.