Public Housing Authorities in Buffalo, New York

5 Public Housing Authorities serve the Buffalo area.

Applying for Affordable Housing in Buffalo

Affordable housing in Buffalo is administered locally by the housing authorities listed above. Each authority sets its own application schedule, but the basic process is consistent: gather identification and income documentation for every member of your household, complete the authority’s pre-application (usually online or by mail), and wait to be placed on the list. When your name reaches the top of an open waiting list, the authority will contact you to verify income, run a background check, and issue either a public housing offer or a Section 8 voucher you can use to rent from a private landlord.

Wait times vary enormously. In some smaller cities a household may receive housing assistance within a few months. In high-cost metros, waits of two to eight years are not unusual. Apply to multiple authorities to maximize your chances, keep your contact information current with each one, and respond to every letter promptly — missing a single notice can result in your application being purged from the list.

What to Bring to Your Buffalo PHA Appointment

When a Buffalo housing authority invites you to an eligibility appointment, the staff will need to verify every figure you reported on your pre-application. Bring originals (not photocopies) of: a government-issued photo ID for every adult; Social Security cards or letters for every household member; the most recent two months of pay stubs for everyone earning wages; the latest annual federal tax return; current statements from any other income source — Social Security, SSDI, child support, pension, unemployment, veterans’ benefits; bank statements covering the last 60 days for every account in any household member’s name; and birth certificates for any minor children. If you claim a local preference (veteran, working family, displaced by domestic violence, current resident), bring documentation of that as well. Missing any of these documents typically results in the appointment being rescheduled, which can push you weeks deeper into the queue.

Related Pages

• All New York housing authorities
• Saratoga Springs, NY · 27 PHAs
• Buffalo, NY · 5 PHAs
• New York, NY · 3 PHAs
• Utica, NY · 3 PHAs
• Glen Cove, NY · 2 PHAs
• Greenport, NY · 2 PHAs
• Jamestown, NY · 2 PHAs
• Melville, NY · 2 PHAs
• Step-by-step Section 8 application guide