Section 8 in Santa Cruz, CA: FMR & Landlord Guide
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area (CBSA 42100). 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) | $3,179 | $2,861 – $3,497 |
| 1-bedroom | $3,298 | $2,968 – $3,628 |
| 2-bedroom | $4,214 | $3,793 – $4,635 |
| 3-bedroom | $5,377 | $4,839 – $5,915 |
| 4-bedroom | $5,659 | $5,093 – $6,225 |
Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Santa Cruz, CA covers up to $4,214 in gross rent (before the tenant’s utility allowance). Between the low and high end of the range: $3,793–$4,635.
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 Santa Cruz, CA
1 PHA administer vouchers in this metro. Contact the PHA that covers the specific address you’re considering.
- Status unknown
Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz
Capitola, CA · CA072 · 5,674 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 Santa Cruz, 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.