Section 8 in San Francisco, CA: FMR & Landlord Guide
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (CBSA 41860). FY2026 Fair Market Rents, active voucher counts, housing authorities and wait-list status, and source-of-income law. Every figure below links back to its source.
Fair Market Rent by bedroom count
HUD-published metro FMR for FY2026. Payment standards (what a PHA actually pays) are set between 90% and 110% of FMR at PHA discretion.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard (90–110%) |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (studio) | $2,142 | $1,928 – $2,356 |
| 1-bedroom | $2,385 | $2,147 – $2,624 |
| 2-bedroom | $2,912 | $2,621 – $3,203 |
| 3-bedroom | $3,724 | $3,352 – $4,096 |
| 4-bedroom | $4,413 | $3,972 – $4,854 |
Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in San Francisco, CA covers up to $2,912 in gross rent (before the tenant’s utility allowance). Between the low and high end of the range: $2,621–$3,203.
Voucher demand in this metro
Aggregated from HUD Public Housing Authority data (FY2026). High utilization means voucher holders are placed and reliably paying rent, a stable but competitive tenant pool for accepting landlords.
Housing authorities serving San Francisco, CA
13 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Contact the PHA that covers the specific address you’re considering.
- Wait-list CLOSED
Housing Authority of the City & County of SF
San Francisco, CA · CA001 · 16,212 HCV units
SFHA Section 8 wait list has been closed long-term. The City of San Francisco transferred most HCV administration to a successor agency; verify current status with SFHA before referring applicants.
- Status unknown
Oakland Housing Authority
Oakland, CA · CA003 · 14,426 HCV units
- Status unknown
Housing Authority of the County Contra Costa
Martinez, CA · CA011 · 9,811 HCV units
- Status unknown
Housing Authority of the County of Alameda
Hayward, CA · CA067 · 7,124 HCV units
- Status unknown
Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo
Belmont, CA · CA014 · 5,268 HCV units
- Status unknown
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF COUNTY OF MARIN
San Rafael, CA · CA052 · 2,449 HCV units
- Status unknown
BERKELEY HOUSING AUTHORITY
Berkeley, CA · CA058 · 2,135 HCV units
- Status unknown
CITY OF ALAMEDA HOUSING AUTHORITY
Alameda, CA · CA062 · 2,059 HCV units
- Status unknown
CITY OF PITTSBURG HSG AUTH
Pittsburg, CA · CA060 · 1,140 HCV units
- Status unknown
HSG AUTH OF THE CITY OF LIVERMORE
Livermore, CA · CA074 · 938 HCV units
- Status unknown
Housing Authority of the City of Richmond
Richmond, CA · CA010 · 0 HCV units
- Status unknown
City of South San Francisco Housing Authority
South San Francisco, CA · CA015 · 0 HCV units
- Status unknown
Housing Authority of the City of Pleasanton
Pleasanton, CA · CA081 · 0 HCV units
Source-of-income law in CA
CA state law prohibits landlords from refusing to rent to Section 8 voucher holders on the basis of their source of income.
FEHA (SB 329) · view statute →
Informational only, not legal advice. Laws change; verify current status before making a leasing decision.
Analyze a specific San Francisco, CA property
Look up the address’s SAFMR (ZIP-level rent), plug the numbers into the voucher-vs-market analyzer, and check the HQS pre-inspection list before scheduling.