Section 8 & Affordable Housing Waitlists in Iowa
In Iowa, Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing waitlists are run by local public housing authorities — not by HUD or by Lease Lantern. Each authority opens and closes its own lists, sometimes for only a few days at a time, so timing and persistence matter.
How to find and join an open waitlist
- Identify the housing authorities that serve where you want to live (listed below).
- Contact each one to ask whether its Section 8 or public housing waitlist is currently open.
- Apply to every open list you qualify for — many people keep several active at once.
- Have your documents ready: ID, income, household members, and current address.
- Keep your contact info updated with each authority so you don’t lose your place.
Waitlist openings change frequently, so always confirm the current status directly with the authority. Eligibility depends on your household income versus the Iowa income limits.
Where to apply in Iowa
37 authorities administer Section 8 vouchers in Iowa. Contact one to check waitlist status:
Albia Housing AgencyAlbia Area Xv Multi-County Housing AgencyAgency Cedar Falls Housing CommissionCedar Falls Cedar Rapids Housing ServicesCedar Rapids Centerville Municipal Housing AgencyCenterville Central Iowa Regional Housing AuthorityGrimes Charles City Hsg And Redev AuthorityCharles City City Of DubuqueDubuque City Of Marshalltown Rent Assistance ProgramMarshalltown City Of Sioux City Housing AuthoritySioux City Davenport Housing CommissionDavenport Des Moines Municipal Housing AgencyDes Moines Eastern Iowa Regional Housing AuthorityDubuque Evansdale Municipal Housing AuthorityEvansdale Fort Dodge Municipal Housing AgencyFort Dodge Fort Madison Housing AuthorityFort Madison Grinnell Low Rent Housing AuthorityGrinnell Iowa City Housing AuthorityIowa City Iowa Northland Regional Housing AuthorityWaverly Keokuk Housing AuthorityKeokuk Low Rent Housing Agency Of BurlingtonBurlington Low Rent Housing Agency Of ClintonClinton Low Rent Housing Agency Of KnoxvilleKnoxville Low Rent Housing Agency Of Spirit LakeSpirit Lake Mason City Housing AuthorityMason City Municipal Housing Agency Of Council BluffsCouncil Bluffs Muscatine Municipal Housing AgencyMuscatine North Iowa Regional Housing AuthorityMason City Northwest Iowa Regional Housing AuthoritySpencer Oskaloosa Municipal Housing AgencyOskaloosa Ottumwa Housing AuthorityOttumwa Region Xii Regional Housing AuthorityCarroll Southeast Iowa Regional Housing AuthorityBurlington Southern Iowa Regional Housing AuthorityCreston Upper Explorerland Regional Housing AuthorityDecorah Warren County Housing AuthorityIndianola Waterloo Housing AuthorityWaterloo