sfha myhousing com

May 15, 2025

Looking for affordable housing in San Francisco? If you’re not using sfha.myhousing.com, you’re missing the one place that actually matters. It’s not flashy, but it’s where SF’s public housing lottery and waitlist action happens—both for tenants and landlords.

What is sfha.myhousing.com and why does it matter?

sfha.myhousing.com is the online portal for the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA). If you want a shot at public housing, a project-based voucher, or a Section 8 spot, this is where you go. It’s built on a platform called Emphasys, which a bunch of other housing authorities also use. But for San Francisco, this is home base.

No paper forms. No standing in line. No applying anywhere else. When a waitlist opens, it’s only open online, and only through this site.

How it actually works

Let’s say the RAD/PBV list opens up—which it did in May 2025. You’ve got a narrow window to apply (in that case, two weeks). Applications open at 8 AM and close at 5 PM on the last day. If you miss it, you’re done. There’s no begging your way in after.

Once the window closes, SFHA runs a lottery. They randomly pull a fixed number of names—like 24,000 people across various program types. Getting drawn doesn’t mean you get housing. It just means you might, depending on your spot on the list and your preferences.

You check your lottery result by plugging in either your Social Security number or confirmation number, along with your date of birth. That’s done through the Lottery Lookup page on the same site.

And here's the thing—no list is always open. When the homepage says “No Lists are Open,” they mean it. It’s a dead end until the next cycle begins.

The difference between RAD, PBV, HCV, and Public Housing

It’s not always obvious which program you're even applying for. Here’s the breakdown:

RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration): Think public housing that’s been converted into voucher-supported units. You still live in a fixed place, but rent is subsidized.
PBV (Project-Based Vouchers): You get a unit in a specific building. You can’t take the voucher and move elsewhere.
HCV (Housing Choice Voucher / Section 8): You get a portable voucher. You find a landlord willing to accept it, and SFHA helps pay your rent.
Public Housing: Classic government-owned apartments. Old school, still in play.

All of these have their own waitlists and lottery draws, and the portal handles them all. You just need to apply when they open the right one.

Who’s eligible to apply?

You’ve got to meet a few conditions:

You need to be at least 18 or legally emancipated.
At least one person in your household must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
You can’t owe money to any housing authority.
You can’t be a lifetime-registered sex offender.
Your income has to fall under federal limits.

And those income limits aren’t the same for everyone. In 2025, for a single person, the cap is $67,700 if you’re applying under the 50% AMI category. That jumps to $96,700 for a family of four. The closer your income is to the 30% AMI threshold (like $40,600 for a single person), the higher your priority on some lists.

How preferences change the game

Preferences don’t help you get picked in the lottery—but they do affect your position on the list once you are selected.

For example:

If you're a veteran or the surviving spouse of one, that’s a +1.
If you’ve been displaced from your home in San Francisco, that helps too.
Some lists give priority to seniors, people with disabilities, or people coming through city agencies like the Department of Homelessness.

SFHA uses these preferences to rank lottery winners. So two people can both get picked in the lottery, but one moves up the waitlist because they’ve got a qualifying preference.

Why this portal matters for landlords too

Since February 2025, sfha.myhousing.com added a Landlord Portal. That’s big news for anyone renting to voucher holders.

If you’re a landlord, you can:

See Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) in real time
Download statements and 1099 tax forms
View tenant rent shares
Schedule or check inspection status

To register, all you need is your Tax ID and an email address. It’s way better than playing phone tag with SFHA staff.

Is it easy to use?

Honestly? It’s bare-bones. But that’s the point. It’s functional. You’re not here for aesthetics. You're here to lock in a place to live—or manage rent support as a landlord.

Setting up an account is fast. You’ll enter your name, DOB, SSN (if you have one), and some contact info. That’s it. And once you’re in, you can update things like your phone number or address, which is critical if they need to reach you when your name comes up.

What if you forget your password?

They’ve got a recovery page. It’s available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Russian. You’ll need access to the email you used when signing up.

What’s coming up next?

Right now (August 2025), there are no open lists. The portal shows a clear “No Lists are Open” message on the homepage. That’s normal. Lists only open a couple of times a year, and usually just for a few weeks.

If you're waiting for HCV or PBV to reopen, keep an eye on the official SFHA website or sign up for alerts. This portal doesn’t give notifications unless you're already registered.

FAQs

Can you apply if you don’t have a Social Security Number?
Yes. It’s helpful, but not required. Use your confirmation number for the lottery check.

Do you need an account to apply?
No. You only need an account after you’re selected in the lottery and invited to register.

What if you applied last year—do you need to reapply?
Yes, every new list opening is a new lottery. Prior submissions don’t carry over.

How long is the wait once you get selected?
It depends. Some people wait months. Others, years. Preferences, list position, and available units all factor in.

Final word

sfha.myhousing.com isn’t glamorous, but it’s crucial. It’s the only place where housing lotteries for low-income San Francisco residents happen. If you're serious about finding an affordable place to live—or you're a landlord working with Section 8—it’s not optional. It’s the first step. And sometimes, the only one that matters.