Section 8 in Illinois: What You Need to Know
Section 8 housing in Illinois is administered by local public housing authorities (PHAs), not by a single state office. Each authority manages its own waiting list, sets its own preferences, and processes applications on its own timeline. The largest programs are in Chicago (Chicago Housing Authority), Cook County (Cook County Housing Authority), and the collar counties, but every municipality with a PHA runs its own program. This means the rules, wait times, and what documents you need can differ significantly depending on where you live.
The program works the same way everywhere: the PHA gives you a voucher, you find a landlord willing to accept it, and the PHA pays a portion of your rent directly to the landlord. You pay the difference. To get on a waiting list, you must live or work in that PHA's jurisdiction. Most lists are closed right now — meaning they are not taking new applications — but they reopen periodically, sometimes with little notice.
Key Takeaways
- You must explore to the PHA that covers your city or county, and most waiting lists in Illinois are currently closed.
- Income limits vary by family size and by PHA, but generally range from about $28,000 to $45,000 per year depending on household composition.
- You will need proof of income, identity, Social Security numbers for all household members, and a lease or rental history to move forward.
- Wait times in Illinois range from a few months in smaller counties to several years in Chicago and Cook County.
- If a waiting list is closed, you can ask to be notified when it reopens, and some PHAs maintain a separate list for people experiencing homelessness.
Income Limits and Household Composition Rules
Section 8 in Illinois uses area median income (AMI) to set limits. Most programs cap income at 50% of AMI, though some use 60%. For a single person in Cook County, that is roughly $28,000 to $34,000 per year. For a family of four, it is roughly $45,000 to $54,000. These numbers change annually and differ by county.
Your household includes anyone living with you who is related by blood, marriage, or adoption, plus any unborn children you are carrying. Foster children and live-in aides count. Roommates do not. If your income is above the limit, you do not move forward. If it is below, the PHA will verify it using tax returns, W-2s, pay stubs, and bank statements. Self-employment income requires the last two years of tax returns plus a profit-and-loss statement.
Household size matters because it determines which income limit applies to you. A family of five has a higher limit than a family of three. If someone moves out or a child turns 18 and leaves, your household size changes and your income limit may drop. The PHA recalculates annually.
Documents You Must Provide
Before the PHA will process your process, you need to gather specific paperwork. Bring originals or certified copies — photocopies alone will not work for most documents.
| Document Type | What Counts |
|---|---|
| Identity | Driver's license, state ID, passport, or birth certificate for each household member |
| Social Security | Social Security card or SSA letter showing the number for each person, including children |
| Income (last 30 days) | Recent pay stubs, offer letter for new job, or benefit statement (unemployment, disability, child support) |
| Income (last 2 years) | Tax returns (1040, Schedule C if self-employed), W-2s, or prior year pay stubs |
| Rental history | Current lease, landlord contact information, or letters from previous landlords |
| Citizenship or legal residency | Birth certificate, passport, green card, or work permit (I-797 or I-765) |
If you are unemployed, bring a letter from your last employer stating your final date of work, or unemployment benefit statements. If you receive cash information, SNAP, or Medicaid, bring the most recent award letter. If you have no income, you still may be able to move forward — some PHAs accept zero-income households — but you will need to document why you have no income.
If you are currently homeless or living in a shelter, bring documentation of your current situation (shelter letter, case manager contact) and any prior address you can verify. Some PHAs have separate preferences for people experiencing homelessness and may move you through the process faster.
Waiting Lists: Open, Closed, and How to Check
Most Section 8 waiting lists in Illinois are closed. Chicago Housing Authority, Cook County Housing Authority, and many suburban PHAs stopped taking applications years ago because demand far exceeds available vouchers. When a list is closed, you cannot submit an process, period.
To find out whether your PHA's list is open, call the authority directly or visit its website. Do not rely on third-party websites — they are often outdated. When you call, ask three things: Is the waiting list open right now? If not, when did it close and when might it reopen? Can I request notification when it reopens?
Some PHAs maintain a homeless preference list that stays open even when the main list is closed. If you are living in a shelter, on the street, or in a car, ask whether your PHA has this option. A few Illinois PHAs also have local preference categories — for example, people who work in the jurisdiction or have lived there for a certain number of years — that may have shorter wait times.
If your local list is closed, you have two options: wait for it to reopen, or move to a different jurisdiction where a list is open. You can only hold one voucher at a time, so you cannot be on multiple waiting lists simultaneously.
The process Process and Timeline
When a waiting list opens, the PHA usually announces it through local news, its website, and sometimes 211 Illinois. Applications are accepted for a set period — often just a few weeks — and then the list closes again. You must submit your process during that window.
After you submit, the PHA will contact you to schedule an interview. Bring all your documents. The PHA will verify your income, check your rental history, and confirm household composition. This step typically takes 4 to 12 weeks depending on how busy the PHA is and how quickly you provide documents they request.
Once you are approved and placed on the active waiting list, you wait for a voucher to become available. In smaller Illinois counties, this may take a few months. In Chicago and Cook County, it can take 3 to 7 years or longer. The PHA will contact you when a voucher is ready. You then have a set time — usually 60 to 120 days — to find a landlord and sign a lease. If you do not find housing in that window, you lose the voucher and go back on the waiting list.
Disqualifying Factors and Criminal History
The PHA will deny your process if you have certain criminal convictions or eviction history. Specifically, you are disqualified if you were convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine on the property, or if you were evicted for drug-related activity in the past three years. A prior eviction for non-payment or lease violation does not automatically disqualify you, but it will be reviewed.
Other criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify you either. The PHA must consider the nature of the crime, how long ago it occurred, and evidence of rehabilitation. A conviction from 15 years ago is treated differently than one from last year. If you have a criminal record, disclose it on your process — the PHA will find it anyway through a background check, and honesty helps your case.
If you owe money to a previous PHA — for example, you damaged a unit and the PHA had to pay for repairs — you may be denied until that debt is resolved. Similarly, if you are currently evicted or have an active eviction case, most PHAs will not process your process until the case is resolved.
What Happens After You Receive a Voucher
Once you have a voucher, you search for an apartment. The landlord must be willing to accept Section 8, and the unit must pass a PHA inspection covering safety, sanitation, and basic maintenance standards. Not all landlords accept vouchers — some refuse outright, and Illinois law does not prohibit this discrimination, though some municipalities have local rules against it.
When you find a unit, the landlord signs a lease with you and the PHA. The PHA calculates how much it will pay based on the unit's rent, your income, and the program's payment standard for that area. You pay the difference. If the rent is $1,200 and the PHA pays $900, you pay $300. Your portion is capped at 30% of your income, so if your income is very low, the PHA may pay more.
You must recertify your income annually. If your income increases, your portion of the rent may go up. If it decreases, your portion goes down. If you move to a different PHA's jurisdiction, you must port your voucher — transfer it — and the new PHA takes over. Some PHAs process ports quickly; others take months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I explore to Section 8 if I have bad credit or past evictions?
Bad credit alone does not disqualify you. Past evictions are reviewed case by case — an eviction from five years ago for non-payment is treated differently than one from last year. Evictions for drug-related activity in the past three years are a hard bar. Disclose your history on the process; the PHA will run a background check anyway.
What if I am undocumented or do not have a Social Security number?
Section 8 requires proof of citizenship or legal residency. If you are undocumented, you are not may be able to access. If you have a work permit (I-765) or green card, you are may be able to access. If you have an ITIN but no SSN, some PHAs will work with you, but this varies. Call your local PHA to ask whether they accept ITINs.
How do I know when my PHA's waiting list will reopen?
Call the PHA directly and ask to be placed on a notification list. Some PHAs send emails or letters when a list reopens; others post only on their website. Check the website every few months if you are not receiving notifications. 211 Illinois can also tell you which lists are currently open in your area.
Can I explore if I am currently homeless?
Yes. Many Illinois PHAs have a homeless preference that prioritizes people living in shelters or on the street. Bring documentation from your shelter or case manager. Some PHAs process homeless applications faster than regular ones, though wait times are still long in most places.
What if I lose my job after I am approved but before I get a voucher?
Your approval is based on income at the time you applied. If your circumstances change significantly — you lose your job, your household size changes, someone moves in — tell the PHA. They may recalculate your may be able to access. If your income drops below zero, you may still be may be able to access as a zero-income household, but this varies by PHA.