Section 8 & Affordable Housing Waitlists in Tennessee
In Tennessee, 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 Tennessee income limits.
Where to apply in Tennessee
25 authorities administer Section 8 vouchers in Tennessee. Contact one to check waitlist status:
Bristol HousingBristol Brownsville Housing AuthorityBrownsville Chattanooga Housing AuthorityChattanooga Cleveland Housing AuthorityCleveland Crossville Housing AuthorityCrossville Dayton Housing AuthorityDayton Dickson Housing AuthorityDickson East Tennessee Human Resource AgencyKnoxville Elizabethton Housing And Development AgencyElizabethton Etowah Housing AuthorityEtowah Franklin Housing AuthorityFranklin Jackson Housing AuthorityJackson Johnson City Housing AuthorityJohnson City Kingsport Housing And Redevelopment AuthorityKingsport Knoxville'S Community Development Corp.Knoxville Lafollette Housing AuthorityLa Follette Maryville Housing AuthorityMaryville Memphis Housing AuthorityMemphis Metropolitan Development & Housing AgencyNashville Murfreesboro Housing AuthorityMurfreesboro Oak Ridge Housing AuthorityOak Ridge Southeast Tennessee Human Resource AgencyDunlap Tennessee Housing Development AgencyNashville Tennessee Valley Housing ServicesMorristown Tullahoma Housing AuthorityTullahoma