PHA Directory / Atlanta Housing
Atlanta Housing Payment Standards 2026–27
Atlanta Housing runs the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program for the City of Atlanta. It sets its own payment standards — the most it will pay toward rent for each unit size — and federal rules normally require those to fall between 90% and 110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent for the area (the metro-wide FMR, or ZIP-level Small Area FMRs where the authority uses them) unless HUD approves an exception. Atlanta Housing is a HUD Moving to Work (MTW) agency, so it can use MTW flexibility to set payment standards outside that usual range. Below are HUD's FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026) figures for the 24 ZIP codes in its area, the benchmark Atlanta Housing's schedule is built from.
Atlanta Housing Utility Allowances 2026
Monthly allowances for utilities the tenant pays, effective July 1, 2026. Add the allowance for each utility you pay yourself; the total is added to the rent to get the gross rent compared with the payment standard. Source: Atlanta Housing utility allowance schedule (PDF, effective July 1, 2026) (read October 17, 2026).
| Utility | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 5 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multifamily — Heating | ||||||
| Heating – natural gas | $20 | $20 | $23 | $26 | $28 | $31 |
| Heating – electric | $20 | $20 | $25 | $31 | $37 | $42 |
| Heating – heat pump | $17 | $17 | $20 | $23 | $25 | $28 |
| Heating – oil or bottle gas | $20 | $20 | $23 | $26 | $28 | $31 |
| Multifamily — Cooking | ||||||
| Cooking – natural gas | $4 | $4 | $5 | $7 | $9 | $10 |
| Cooking – electric | $8 | $8 | $12 | $15 | $19 | $23 |
| Cooking – bottle gas | $4 | $4 | $5 | $7 | $9 | $10 |
| Multifamily — Electric and cooling | ||||||
| Other electric (includes base charge) | $48 | $48 | $60 | $72 | $84 | $96 |
| Air conditioning | $14 | $14 | $23 | $34 | $43 | $51 |
| Multifamily — Water heating | ||||||
| Water heating – natural gas | $8 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $19 | $23 |
| Water heating – electric | $19 | $19 | $24 | $30 | $37 | $45 |
| Water heating – oil or bottle gas | $8 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $19 | $23 |
| Multifamily — Water and sewer | ||||||
| Water | $22 | $22 | $34 | $47 | $61 | $74 |
| Sewer | $53 | $53 | $83 | $117 | $150 | $184 |
| Multifamily — Appliances | ||||||
| Range/microwave | $7 | $7 | $7 | $7 | $7 | $7 |
| Refrigerator | $9 | $9 | $9 | $9 | $9 | $9 |
| Multifamily — Base charges | ||||||
| Natural gas base charge | $56 | $56 | $56 | $56 | $56 | $56 |
| Single family — Heating | ||||||
| Heating – natural gas | $29 | $29 | $33 | $37 | $40 | $44 |
| Heating – electric | $42 | $42 | $49 | $55 | $61 | $68 |
| Heating – heat pump | $25 | $25 | $29 | $33 | $36 | $40 |
| Heating – oil or bottle gas | $29 | $29 | $33 | $37 | $40 | $44 |
| Single family — Cooking | ||||||
| Cooking – natural gas | $4 | $4 | $5 | $7 | $9 | $10 |
| Cooking – electric | $8 | $8 | $12 | $15 | $20 | $26 |
| Cooking – bottle gas | $4 | $4 | $5 | $7 | $9 | $10 |
| Single family — Electric and cooling | ||||||
| Other electric (includes base charge) | $63 | $63 | $80 | $98 | $116 | $134 |
| Air conditioning | $11 | $11 | $34 | $54 | $74 | $94 |
| Single family — Water heating | ||||||
| Water heating – natural gas | $10 | $10 | $15 | $19 | $24 | $29 |
| Water heating – electric | $24 | $24 | $31 | $41 | $51 | $58 |
| Water heating – oil or bottle gas | $10 | $10 | $15 | $19 | $24 | $29 |
| Single family — Water and sewer | ||||||
| Water | $22 | $22 | $34 | $47 | $61 | $74 |
| Sewer | $53 | $53 | $83 | $117 | $150 | $184 |
| Single family — Appliances | ||||||
| Range/microwave | $7 | $7 | $7 | $7 | $7 | $7 |
| Refrigerator | $9 | $9 | $9 | $9 | $9 | $9 |
| Single family — Base charges | ||||||
| Natural gas base charge | $56 | $56 | $56 | $56 | $56 | $56 |
- Atlanta Housing: the schedule is printed separately for Multifamily and Single Family unit types within the City of Atlanta.
- Atlanta Housing: the other electric line includes the electric base charge; natural gas units also carry a separate natural gas base charge.
- Atlanta Housing: a reasonable accommodation allowance for electricity used by medical equipment is decided case by case and must be verified by a medical professional.
- Atlanta Housing: the source states that previous editions are obsolete.
Contact Atlanta Housing
Phone: (404) 892-4700
Address: 230 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
HUD rents by ZIP code
2-bedroom HUD figure for each ZIP. Open a ZIP for every unit size.
$1,91030305 Atlanta
$2,24030306 Atlanta
$2,15030308 Atlanta
$2,23030309 Atlanta
$2,64030310 Atlanta
$1,31030311 Atlanta
$1,34030312 Atlanta
$2,17030313 Atlanta
$1,86030314 Atlanta
$1,21030315 Atlanta
$1,20030318 Atlanta
$1,85030324 Atlanta
$2,41030326 Atlanta
$2,34030327 Atlanta
$2,19030328 Atlanta
$2,37030331 Atlanta
$1,44030336 Atlanta
$1,53030337 Atlanta
$1,27030342 Atlanta
$2,02030344 Atlanta
$1,52030349 Atlanta
$1,50030350 Atlanta
$2,05030354 Atlanta
$1,440
Rent limits for Atlanta
Other housing authorities in Georgia: Marietta Housing Authority
Not sure which authority covers an address? Use the PHA directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Atlanta Housing payment standard?
A payment standard is the maximum monthly amount Atlanta Housing uses to calculate a voucher's housing assistance for a given unit size. Atlanta Housing chooses its payment standards, and HUD rules (24 CFR 982.503) normally require them to fall between 90% and 110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent for the area (the metro-wide FMR, or ZIP-level Small Area FMRs where the authority uses them) — the "basic range". An authority can go above 110% only with an exception payment standard approved by HUD or allowed by HUD notice. Atlanta Housing is a HUD Moving to Work (MTW) agency, so it can use MTW flexibility to set payment standards outside that usual range.
What are Atlanta Housing's utility allowances for 2026?
Atlanta Housing's current utility allowances took effect on July 1, 2026 (source: Atlanta Housing utility allowance schedule (PDF, effective July 1, 2026)). For a 2-bedroom, the allowance for a single utility ranges from $5 to $83 a month. Add the allowance for each utility you pay yourself. The total is added to the contract rent, and that gross rent is what is compared with the payment standard, so a unit with tenant-paid utilities needs a lower rent to fit.
Why might Atlanta Housing's published amounts differ from the HUD figures on this page?
The figures here are HUD's FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026) Small Area FMRs. Atlanta Housing sets its own amounts as a percentage of these (anywhere in the 90–110% basic range), and it adopts new amounts on its own schedule. As a Moving to Work agency, Atlanta Housing may also use local payment standards that differ from the basic range. Always use Atlanta Housing's own published schedule for your actual voucher amount.
Where can I find Atlanta Housing's official payment standard schedule?
On Atlanta Housing's website (https://www.atlantahousing.org) or from your caseworker. Voucher holders also receive the amount for their unit size in their briefing packet.
Does a higher payment standard mean the voucher pays more of my rent?
It raises the ceiling. The housing assistance payment is the lower of the payment standard or the unit's gross rent (rent plus tenant-paid utilities), minus your total tenant payment — usually about 30% of adjusted monthly income (24 CFR 982.505). If a unit's gross rent is above the payment standard, you pay the difference, and at initial lease-up your share can't exceed 40% of adjusted monthly income.
Why do the amounts change by ZIP code?
HUD publishes Small Area FMRs for each ZIP code in Atlanta Housing's area rather than one figure for the whole metro area. Some authorities are required to use them and others may choose to; where an authority uses them, its payment standards vary by ZIP too, so higher-rent neighborhoods get higher ceilings. Check Atlanta Housing's schedule for the ZIP of the unit, not where you live now.