LA County Reopens Public Housing Waitlist at 16 Sites, Against About 300 Vacancies a Year

The Los Angeles County Development Authority is taking applications from 8 a.m. on August 17, 2026 until 5 p.m. on September 16, 2026, the first opening since April 2024. Rent in the county-owned units is generally capped at 30% of household income.

The Los Angeles County Development Authority began accepting applications for its public housing waitlist at 8 a.m. on Monday, August 17, 2026, the first time the list has opened since April 2024, LAist reported. The window is set to close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Registration is open at 16 properties, out of the 68 public housing properties the agency oversees across Los Angeles County.

Those 68 properties house more than 6,600 residents, according to LAist's reporting. The agency's public housing program averages 300 vacancies per year, Tracie Mann, the chief of programs for the Los Angeles County Development Authority, told LAist. That is the number that sets the odds for anyone signing up: turnover, not new construction, is what moves the list.

Applications at the smaller properties are capped at 1,000 applications each, and those waitlists will close early if the cap is reached before September 16, 2026. Wait times run months or longer, depending on vacancies at each individual property, according to LAist. The published account does not give a total number of applications the agency received during the April 2024 opening, so the ratio of applicants to openings this time cannot be stated from the available material.

Why the list is opening now

"We need to refresh the list, get new families who are interested in applying, not only to our family sites, but also to our senior sites," Mann told LAist. She said she expects more people to apply this time because of the sharp rise in the cost of living.

"We know that housing is a serious need here within the region of Los Angeles County, and having LACDA in a position to be able to offer public housing units to those most in need is just so… critical," Mann told LAist.

Rent in the county-owned and county-managed units is generally capped at 30% of a household's gross income. That cap is what makes the units useful beyond the month-to-month, said Justin Fitzsimmons, a lawyer with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, who told LAist the limit helps families build savings.

"It is a really valuable resource and can be a great opportunity for people to be able to build wealth in this economy and set up their generations in the future," Fitzsimmons told LAist. He said it is common to see clients come to his office for legal help after a life event, such as an accident or major illness, that has drained their savings. "Public housing is a really wonderful opportunity for a person to help to weather those events that life throws your way," he said.

Who qualifies, and how to apply

• Window: 8 a.m. on August 17, 2026 to 5 p.m. on September 16, 2026, with early closure at smaller properties that hit 1,000 applications.
• Income: A single person in Los Angeles County falls below the 50% threshold earning up to $58,300 per year. A family of four meets the cutoff earning no more than $83,300 per year. Mann told LAist there are different tiers, including 30% and 50% of the county median income.
• Rent: Generally capped at 30% of a household's gross income.
• Help: The Los Angeles County Development Authority takes calls at (626) 586-1522, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Staff also help people complete online applications in person at the agency's offices at 700 W. Main St. in Alhambra.

Location matters more than it looks

Choosing which site to apply to carries a penalty attached. If an applicant applies to a location and then declines the unit they are offered, they are removed from that waiting list until it opens again, LAist reported — which, based on the gap between April 2024 and August 2026, can be a wait of years.

The properties named in LAist's reporting show the range. Marina Manor, in Marina del Rey, has 183 units reserved for seniors. Orchard Arms, in Valencia, also has 183 senior units. South Bay Gardens, in South Los Angeles, has 100 units. People leave these units for varied reasons, Mann said, including moving outside Los Angeles County, finding another apartment, or facing eviction.