Your complete resource for understanding the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program — eligibility, applications, finding approved apartments, and tracking waitlists nationwide.
North Dakota has a smaller rental market than many states, but the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program — commonly called Section 8 — operates here the same way it does nationwide. It's a federally funded program administered locally by Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), designed to help low-income households afford housing in the private rental market. Understanding how the program works at the state level means understanding how your local PHA fits into that structure.
There is no single statewide Section 8 program. Instead, North Dakota has multiple PHAs — in cities like Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, and Minot, as well as tribal housing authorities and smaller regional agencies. Each PHA receives federal funding from HUD and runs its own program within HUD's framework.
That means eligibility rules, payment standards, waitlist procedures, and available vouchers differ from one PHA to the next, even within the same state. What's true for the Fargo Housing Authority may not apply in Bismarck or a rural county agency.
To qualify for an HCV in North Dakota, applicants typically must meet these criteria:
| Factor | General Requirement |
|---|---|
| Income | Usually at or below 50% of Area Median Income (AMI) for the area |
| Household composition | All family types may apply; household size affects income limits |
| Citizenship/immigration status | At least one household member must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen |
| Criminal background | PHAs may deny based on certain criminal history; rules vary |
| Prior program history | Prior evictions from assisted housing or HCV terminations can affect eligibility |
HUD requires PHAs to prioritize at least 75% of new vouchers for households at or below 30% of AMI — referred to as extremely low-income. But specific income limits depend on the local AMI for each county or metro area, and those figures change annually.
Most PHAs in North Dakota operate closed waitlists for significant periods of time. When demand for vouchers exceeds supply — which is common — a PHA closes its waitlist and only reopens it when it can absorb new applicants. 🏠
When a waitlist opens, PHAs may use:
Many PHAs also apply local preferences that move certain applicants up the waitlist. Common preference categories include:
Preference categories vary by PHA. One agency may weight homelessness heavily; another may prioritize local residency. Wait times can range from months to several years, depending on voucher availability and how many households are ahead of you.
When a household reaches the top of the waitlist and is deemed eligible, they attend a voucher briefing — an orientation explaining how the program works, what the voucher covers, and what rules apply. After the briefing, the PHA issues a voucher with a search period (typically 60–120 days, sometimes extendable) to find an eligible unit.
The voucher doesn't pay the full rent. It covers the gap between what HUD considers an appropriate rent (the payment standard) and approximately 30% of the household's adjusted monthly income. The tenant pays their share directly to the landlord; the PHA pays the rest through a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract.
Payment standards in North Dakota vary by bedroom size and location. A studio in Fargo and a two-bedroom in a rural county will have different payment standards — and the local rental market affects whether the payment standard is adequate to cover available units.
Landlords are not required to accept Section 8 vouchers in all jurisdictions. 🔍 In North Dakota, participation is voluntary unless state or local law requires otherwise. A landlord who agrees to participate must:
Inspections cover structural safety, utilities, smoke detectors, heating systems, and general habitability. Failed items must be corrected before the unit is approved. Annual or biennial inspections typically follow to maintain HAP contract eligibility.
HCV households must complete an annual recertification — reporting all current income, household composition, and any changes since the last certification. If income increases, the tenant's share typically rises. If income decreases or household size changes, the subsidy may be adjusted.
Some changes — like a new job or a household member moving in — must be reported between annual recertifications as interim changes, depending on PHA policy.
Households that have held a voucher for at least 12 months (or who were initially leased within the issuing PHA's jurisdiction) may be eligible to port their voucher to another jurisdiction — within North Dakota or to another state. The process involves coordination between the initial PHA (issuing the voucher) and the receiving PHA (where the household wants to move).
Receiving PHAs may absorb the voucher into their own program or bill the costs back to the initial PHA. Portability timelines and procedures vary.
PHAs can deny applicants during the screening process or terminate assistance after it begins. Common grounds include:
Applicants and participants who are denied or terminated have the right to request an informal hearing to contest the decision. The procedures, deadlines, and outcomes of informal hearings vary by PHA.
How all of this applies to any specific household in North Dakota depends on which PHA covers their area, what that PHA's current waitlist status and preferences are, what local AMI figures look like for their household size, and the specific rental market conditions where they're trying to lease. Those local variables are what shape real outcomes — and they're different at every agency.
Select your state to view local waitlists, PHAs, and application information.