# Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) Explained (Texas) | Income Restricted Apartments > A Housing Choice Voucher helps pay rent at accepting properties. What HCV is, how to get one from your PHA, portability, and how we help. URL: https://incomerestrictedapartments.com/guide/housing-choice-vouchers-hcv-explained/ Last-Modified: 2026-06-21 ![Person holding a voucher approval letter outside a Texas apartment community](/images/misc/person-holding-voucher-approval-letter-outside-tex.webp) ## What HCV Is A Housing Choice Voucher (HCV, often called Section 8) is a monthly rent subsidy issued by your local Public Housing Authority (PHA). It goes directly to your landlord as a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP); you pay the rest. Vouchers are **portable**: they move with you. That’s different from public housing (you rent the government’s unit) and project-based Section 8 (subsidy stays with the unit). ## How to Get One Apply to your local PHA. Each Texas metro has its own: - **Austin**: Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) and Housing Authority of Travis County (HATC) - **San Antonio**: Opportunity Home San Antonio (formerly SAHA) - **Houston**: Houston Housing Authority (HHA) - **Dallas**: Dallas Housing Authority (DHA) - **Fort Worth**: Fort Worth Housing Solutions (FWHS) Waitlists are usually long and open only during specific windows. Preferences (veteran, disability, homelessness, elderly, working) can help. This part isn’t us; it’s the PHA. ## What Happens Once You Have a Voucher You have a limited term (typically 60-120 days, extendable) to find and lease up a unit at a property that accepts vouchers. The steps: 1. Find an accepting property 2. Submit a Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) with the landlord 3. PHA reviews the rent and inspects the unit for Housing Quality Standards (HQS) 4. Sign the lease and move in ![PHA issues voucher, then renter finds accepting unit workflow](/images/misc/pha-issues-voucher-then-renter-finds-accepting-uni.webp) ## Where We Come In Once your voucher is in hand, our job is finding accepting properties, filtering out closed lists, and coordinating paperwork. Acceptance varies wildly in Texas, and we know which properties actually process voucher applications versus stalling. ## Portability Between Metros If you want to move your voucher between Texas metros (or from another state to Texas), you go through “portability”. Your issuing PHA and the receiving PHA coordinate. It takes some weeks and paperwork. We can help you find an accepting community in the destination metro while portability processes. ## Related Reading - Section 8 Voucher Apartments Hub [/section-8-voucher-apartments/ →](/section-8-voucher-apartments/) - How to Use a Housing Choice Voucher in Texas [/guide/how-to-use-a-housing-choice-voucher-in-texas/ →](/guide/how-to-use-a-housing-choice-voucher-in-texas/) - Finding Voucher-Accepting Communities in Each Metro [/guide/finding-voucher-accepting-communities-each-metro/ →](/guide/finding-voucher-accepting-communities-each-metro/) Start the free intake [/contact/ →](/contact/) and tell us if you have or expect a voucher. ## Frequently Asked Questions Where do I get a Housing Choice Voucher in Texas? + From your local Public Housing Authority (PHA). Austin: HACA. San Antonio: Opportunity Home. Houston: HHA. Dallas: DHA. Fort Worth: FWHS. Waitlists are usually long and open only during specific windows. We do not administer voucher applications; that's between you and the PHA. Can I use a voucher anywhere? + Only at communities that accept vouchers. Acceptance is voluntary for many private landlords in Texas. We filter for communities that actually accept and process voucher applications. How much of the rent does a voucher cover? + You typically pay around 30% of your adjusted gross income; the voucher covers the rest, up to your PHA's payment standard (based on Fair Market Rent for your bedroom size in your metro). ## Related Guides ### 2026 Income Limits & AMI Tables by Texas Metro and Household Size 2026 AMI income limits (30/50/60/80%) for affordable apartments by Texas metro and household size. Updated annually from HUD/TDHCA. [2026 Income Limits & AMI Tables by Texas Metro and Household Size →](/guide/2026-income-limits-ami-tables-by-metro-household-size/) ### Accessible & Disability Income Restricted Housing Need an ADA-accessible affordable unit? Accessible set-asides, reasonable accommodations, and how we match you to disability-friendly communities. [Accessible & Disability Income Restricted Housing →](/guide/accessible-disability-income-restricted-housing/) ### Family (2-3 Bedroom) Income Restricted Apartments Need a larger income restricted unit? Occupancy rules, how bedroom count affects AMI, and waitlist realities for 2-3 bedroom units. [Family (2-3 Bedroom) Income Restricted Apartments →](/guide/family-2-3-bedroom-income-restricted-apartments/) ### How Our Free Locator Service Works Qualification, pre-screening, waitlist coordination, and fee rebate. Communities pay us, never you. Your rent stays the same. [How Our Free Locator Service Works →](/guide/how-our-free-locator-service-works/) ![](/images/misc/texas-income-restricted-apartment-community-family.webp) Free · No Application Fees Wasted ## Want a Match, Not Just Info? Start the free 5-minute intake. Licensed Texas team, matches within 24-48 hours, application fee rebate on approval. See If I Qualify [/contact/ →](/contact/) Read More Guides [/guide/ →](/guide/)