Housing Programs

KCHA supports safe, affordable rental housing for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, people who are fleeing domestic violence, youth aging out of foster care, and individuals or families with children who are working hard but can't afford a market-rate apartment in our expensive county. We offer a broad range of housing options to address the unique needs faced by each of these groups.

Hoising Choice (Section 8) Vouchers

Tenant-based Housing Choice Vouchers help more than 14,000 households with low incomes rent homes on the private market. With a voucher, tenants pay around 30 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 (outside of Seattle and Renton, which have their own housing authorities). Because the demand for vouchers is very high, the waiting list is currently closed to new applications. KCHA generally opens the list every two to three years.

Subsidized Housing

KCHA’s subsidized housing is another option for serving people with limited incomes, and KCHA has approximately 2,500 subsidized rental homes. Seniors and older adults are the fastest growing population in KCHA housing. Most residents pay no more than 32 percent of their adjusted monthly income on rent and utilities.

KCHA owns and manages nearly all of this type of housing. Many of these properties offer on-site social services provided by local nonprofit organizations. The buildings range in size and shape, from high-rises to garden-style communities, and each community may be dedicated to seniors, adults with disabilities, and families with children. 

Workforce Housing

Ensuring first-rate housing is available to our community’s workforce – including teachers, restaurant workers, social workers, and paramedics – is essential to our local economy. 

KCHA's workforce housing program grows housing supply through creative rehabilitation and construction models. KCHA owns more than 8,000 affordable workforce rental homes purchased using non-federal subsidies. The people living in workforce housing earn less than the Area Median Income (AMI) 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.