Section 8 Compass

Data sources and methodology

Section 8 Compass is built on public data and primary-source policy documents. This page lists every dataset and major source we draw from, when we last refreshed it, and how we use it. If you spot something stale or inaccurate, please tell us.

Public Housing Agency directory

Source: HUD Public Housing Authorities feature service, published on HUD's ArcGIS Open Data portal.
URL: hudgis-hud.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/HUD::public-housing-authorities
Last refreshed: June 2026
Records used: agency name, HA code, mailing and physical address, phone, executive director, voucher counts, public housing unit counts, program participation (HCV, public housing, MTW, family unification, etc.).

We pull this dataset periodically with a small PHP fetch script (seed.php), write it to data/phas.json, and rebuild the slug index. No live API calls happen at page render time, which keeps the site fast and avoids hammering HUD's endpoint.

Where a record looks wrong on our PHA pages, the underlying record in HUD's dataset is almost always the source of truth. We do not edit individual records by hand. Corrections should be reported both to us (so we can flag the page) and to HUD if it is a data-quality issue with their feed.

Income limits

Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, annual Income Limits dataset.
URL: huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il.html
Coverage on this site: state-level summary numbers for the 1-person and 4-person Extremely Low Income (30% AMI) and Very Low Income (50% AMI) thresholds.

The actual income limits HUD publishes are county-by-county and metro-area-by-metro-area, not statewide. Our state pages show illustrative figures based on a representative metro in the state. Always confirm the precise limit for your county with the PHA you are applying to. The income-limit lookup tool on HUD's site lets you enter a state and county and returns the official figures.

Program rules and policy descriptions

The substance of our program pages and guides is drawn from HUD's own published materials:

  • HUD Housing Choice Voucher program page and the implementing regulations at 24 CFR Part 982.
  • The HCV Guidebook (HUD Handbook 7420.10G) for operational practice.
  • HUD's annual Fair Market Rent dataset for payment standard context.
  • Public-domain HUD Federal Register notices for policy changes (e.g. the small-area FMR rule, HOTMA implementing rules).

We summarize, restate, and put context around these sources. We do not invent rules or numbers. Where a guide makes a claim that is not obvious from the headline rule, the source should be findable in one of these documents.

Voucher counts and assisted-unit totals

Per-PHA voucher and public housing unit counts come from the same HUD PHA dataset cited above, in the HA_PROGRAM_TYPE, TOTAL_DWELLING_UNITS, and related fields. State totals on our state pages are summed across all PHAs in the state.

What we do not source from

  • We do not aggregate from third-party rental listing sites. Those are unreliable for who participates in Section 8.
  • We do not use generative AI as a primary source. Where AI assists in drafting, the underlying facts still come from one of the sources above.
  • We do not pull from forums or Reddit for facts. We do read them for what real applicants are confused about, then write our own answers using primary-source rules.

Refresh cadence

  • PHA directory: approximately every 60-90 days, or when HUD publishes a major dataset revision.
  • Income limits: annually when HUD publishes the new Fiscal Year limits in April.
  • Guides and program pages: reviewed at least twice a year and whenever a major rule changes.

Editorial corrections

If you find an error, email editor [at] section8compass [dot] org with the page URL and what is wrong. Substantive corrections are made within 5 business days and noted in the page byline.