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How Section 8 Housing Vouchers Work in Indiana — and Where to Apply

Indiana runs its Section 8 program through two systems that don't overlap, and which one you use depends entirely on where you live and this page will help guide you on the process. The Indianapolis Housing Agency (IHA) handles vouchers for people in Indianapolis and Marion County. The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) handles the rest of the state — but IHCDA doesn't run local offices itself. It works through community action agencies, which are the organizations that actually take applications in most Indiana counties.

That's the most important thing to understand before you start: if you live outside Indianapolis, you may be applying through a community action agency you've never heard of, not a housing authority with "housing" in the name. IHCDA can point you to the right agency for your county. In addition, Section 8 is not an emergency type rent assistance program - it may take years to get a voucher. For emergencies, see the Indiana rent assistance page.

The federal mechanics are the same as everywhere else: you pay roughly 30% of your adjusted monthly income toward rent, and the housing authority pays the rest directly to your landlord. But who you apply to, how long you wait, and whether a landlord will accept your voucher depend on Indiana-specific rules — and there are two in particular you need to know going in.

• Scam warning: Any website, flyer, or person that charges a fee to apply for Section 8, get you on a wait list faster, or guarantee you a voucher is a fraud. Applications are always free and go directly to your housing authority or community action agency. IHCDA has specifically warned about fake websites that circulate on social media.

Landlords can legally turn you down for having a voucher

Indiana landlords are not required to accept Section 8 vouchers. That's true statewide — and Indiana also prevents cities from passing their own rules that would require landlords to accept them. So even in a city that might want to protect voucher holders, the state rules prevent it.

In practice, this probably means you'll hear "we don't take Section 8" a lot when apartment hunting. Plan for it.

Start with the approved landlord list from your housing authority — every major Indiana PHA keeps a list of property owners who have rented to voucher holders in the past. Those are the ones worth calling first.

Also watch out for landlords who say they accept vouchers but then require you to earn two to three times the full rent in monthly income. That rules out almost every voucher holder. It's legal, and it's common. If you run into it, don't waste application fees — move on to the next landlord.

IHCDA: who handles Section 8 if you're outside Indianapolis

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) is the state agency that oversees the Housing Choice Voucher program for most of Indiana. 30 S. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204. (317) 232-7788. https://www.in.gov/ihcda/.

IHCDA holds the HUD funding and sets the rules, but it subcontracts actual intake and case management to local community action programs across the state. That means when you apply for Section 8 in a rural county, you're going to a community action office in your area, not an IHCDA building. For example, Area IV Agency handles Carroll, Clinton, Tippecanoe, and White counties. Community Action of Western Indiana handles Benton, Fountain, Vermillion, and Warren counties. Other agencies cover other regions. IHCDA's website has the county-by-county map showing which agency serves where.

IHCDA administers vouchers for over 4,000 families across Indiana. Their wait lists open and close based on available funding — check the website or call for current status. Note that IHCDA explicitly does not cover Indianapolis or Marion County; that jurisdiction belongs entirely to IHA.

Major housing authorities in Indiana

Indianapolis Housing Agency (IHA) covers Indianapolis and all of Marion County. 1919 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202. (317) 261-7200. website: https://www.indyhousing.org/. IHA manages roughly 9,000 Housing Choice Vouchers, making it one of the larger programs in the Midwest. Applications go through an online portal. Wait lists open periodically — check the website for current status. IHA also manages project-based units and public housing communities throughout the city. If you're in Indianapolis and can't get on the HCV wait list, ask specifically about project-based openings, which have their own separate wait lists.

Fort Wayne Housing Authority (FWHA) — Allen County. 7315 South Hanna Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46816. (260) 267-9300. https://fwha.org/ Manages over 3,000 Housing Choice Vouchers and roughly 750 public housing units across Fort Wayne. Wait list status changes periodically — check the website or call before applying.

Housing Authority of South Bend — City of South Bend. 501 Alonzo Watson Drive, South Bend, IN 46601. (574) 235-9346. Website: https://www.hasbonline.com/. Covers Section 8 within South Bend city limits. The St. Joseph County Housing Authority is a separate agency handling the rest of the county from an office in North Liberty — if you're outside South Bend city limits, that's the office to contact.

Housing Authority of the City of Evansville — Evansville and Vanderburgh County. 500 SE 10th Street, Evansville, IN 47713. (812) 428-8500. Website: https://www.evansvillehousing.org//. Combined authority administering both Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing for southwest Indiana's largest city.

Housing Authority of the City of Gary — Lake County. 578 Broadway, Gary, IN 46402. (219) 881-6422. Website: https://garyhousing.org/. Serves Gary and the surrounding area in northwest Indiana. The East Chicago Housing Authority and Hammond Housing Authority are separate agencies — each city has its own PHA. If you're in Lake County, check which city you're in before calling.

Kokomo Housing Authority — Howard County. 210 E Taylor Street, Kokomo, IN 46901. (765) 459-3162. Combined program offering both Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing for Kokomo and Howard County.

Full Indiana PHA directory

The complete list of all Indiana housing authorities follows. Addresses and phone numbers are from the most current HUD PHA Contact Report. Because many smaller Indiana PHAs operate with limited staff, call ahead to confirm hours and wait list status before making a trip.

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