Housing Programs

KCHA serves as a safety net for people with the greatest housing needs. This includes homeless families, seniors and disabled people living on fixed incomes, the working poor, and families with moderate incomes. We offer a broad range of housing options to address the unique needs faced by each of these groups.

Section 8 Vouchers

Tenant-based Section 8 vouchers help approximately 12,000 households with low incomes rent homes on the private market. With a voucher, tenants pay at least 28 percent, but generally not more than 40 percent, of their household income for rent and utilities. KCHA pays the difference between the tenant’s portion of the rent and the amount requested by the landlord. To enable greater geographic choice and access to areas with higher levels of economic and educational opportunity, our payment standards are higher in areas where rents are higher.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and managed by KCHA, tenants who qualify can use a voucher to rent from any landlord in King County willing to take part in the program. Because the demand for vouchers is very high, the waiting list is most often closed to new applications. KCHA generally opens the list every two to three years.

More than 2,850 tenant-based vouchers and 410 project-based vouchers target people with special needs, including homeless families. KCHA’s partner agencies connect households in need with this type of housing. Families transitioning to economic self-sufficiency, disabled households, and families who may be separated from their children because of a lack of adequate housing use these special vouchers. Homeless people, domestic violence victims, and terminally ill people may also be eligible.

Subsidized Housing

KCHA’s subsidized housing serves the people of King County with the most limited incomes. This includes seniors, people with disabilities, single-parent families, and low-income working households. Most residents pay no more than 28 percent of their adjusted monthly income on rent and utilities.

KCHA owns and manages nearly all of this type of housing, with the rest managed by private landlords. Many of these properties offer on-site social services. The buildings range in size and shape, from high-rises for seniors and disabled adults to low-rise family complexes and single-family houses. They are located in 20 cities throughout the county.

Workforce Housing

Ensuring first-rate housing is available to our community’s essential workers – nurses, firefighters, teachers and many more – advances equity, inclusion and belonging.

KCHA's workforce housing program grows supply through creative rehabilitation and construction models. KCHA owns 8,680 units of workforce housing purchased using non-federal subsidies. Our workforce housing residents earn less than the area median income but can afford units priced at a slightly lower rate than the market.

Over the years, KCHA’s acquisition strategy has saved thousands of units of affordable housing from being permanently lost to market rate or upscale housing, in one of the most challenging housing markets in the nation. KCHA has pioneered innovative partnerships with Amazon and Microsoft to advance this work.

Manufactured Homes

KCHA manages five manufactured housing communities. Four of the properties allow people with low incomes to buy a manufactured home located on a land-leased lot. The other offers spaces for rent to seniors who already own their home. This type of housing serves more than 600 households in Southeast King County and Redmond.

Nonprofit Partnerships

KCHA owns and maintains about 130 units at 11 properties operated by nonprofit service providers. These providers offer supportive services for homeless individuals, homeless families, and people with special needs. Residents apply to live in this type of housing directly through each human service agency.