Find your PHA
Public Housing Authority for your county or city. Each PHA runs its own waitlist; some have been closed for years.
The waitlist
Apply to multiple PHAs simultaneously. Wait times vary from 6 months to 10+ years depending on the city.
What it covers
Section 8 vouchers cover rent up to a Fair Market Rent set by HUD for your zip code. You pay 30% of your adjusted income; the voucher covers the rest.
Landlord acceptance
Source-of-income discrimination is illegal in some states (NY, CA, DC, MA) but legal in most Southern states. Your search will be harder than it should be.