Housing Choice Voucher Program (Home Forward)
Section 8 rent vouchers in Multnomah County
What it pays or provides
A Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) pays part of your rent directly to your landlord, so you pay a reduced share. You can use it at most private rentals, not just specific buildings.
Who qualifies
Home Forward opens the waitlist to the public only occasionally, and vouchers go out over time in the order people joined the list — it is not first-come, first-served the day you apply.
Where you have to live
You must be applying in the Home Forward service area (Multnomah County).
How other benefits affect it
This is different from Home Forward's public/property-based housing waitlists, which are for specific buildings rather than a voucher you can use anywhere.
How to apply
Be honest about the waitlist here: as of this writing the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist is closed. It last opened in April 2025, and people who applied then were told they'd hear back by the end of September 2025. If you're already on the list, check your status through Home Forward's Rent Café participant portal at portal.homeforward.org. If you're not on the list yet, sign up on Home Forward's site to get an email when the waitlist opens again or when vacancies come up — don't wait for a crisis to check. For questions, call Home Forward at 503-802-8333.
Programs that combine with it
- Home Forward Property-Based (Public Housing) Waitlists — low-rent apartments run by the housing authority
Sources
- Home Forward Housing Choice Voucher
- Official rule text “The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program helps people in our community afford rent by covering part of the cost.” (checked July 6, 2026)
- Official rule text “The Housing Choice Voucher waitlist is closed” (checked July 19, 2026)