PHA Directory / Cambridge Housing Authority
Cambridge Housing Authority Payment Standards 2026: Voucher Amounts by Bedroom
Cambridge Housing Authority's 2-bedroom payment standards run from $3,833 to $4,452 a month across 5 ZIP codes, effective January 1, 2026. These are Cambridge Housing Authority's own amounts, from the schedule we read on October 24, 2026; find your ZIP code in the table below.
Official schedule: Official Cambridge Housing Authority payment standards (page)
CHA Payment Standard & Utility Deductions page (Cambridge payment standards by ZIP code, effective January 1, 2026)
Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) runs the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program for the City of Cambridge. Its own published 2-bedroom payment standards run from $3,833 to $4,452 a month across 5 ZIP codes, effective January 1, 2026. Source: Cambridge Payment Standards, effective January 1, 2026 (PDF linked from CHA's Payment Standard & Utility Deductions page), read October 24, 2026. Every ZIP code is in the table below. These published amounts, not HUD's figures, are Cambridge Housing Authority's payment standards: the most it uses to calculate a voucher's housing assistance for each unit size. HUD's FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026) figures for the 6 ZIP codes in its area are further down for comparison. For units rented outside the City of Cambridge, CHA says it uses the Boston Housing Authority's payment standard chart.
Cambridge Housing Authority's published payment standards (effective January 1, 2026)
Monthly amounts by ZIP code, as published by Cambridge Housing Authority. Source: Cambridge Payment Standards, effective January 1, 2026 (PDF linked from CHA's Payment Standard & Utility Deductions page) (read October 24, 2026). Cambridge Housing Authority may revise its schedule; your voucher paperwork is final.
| ZIP | City / area | Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02138 | Cambridge | $3,560 | $3,739 | $4,442 | $5,325 | $5,881 |
| 02139 | Cambridge | $3,371 | $3,539 | $4,211 | $5,094 | $5,608 |
| 02140 | Cambridge | $3,077 | $3,539 | $3,833 | $4,625 | $5,100 |
| 02141 | Cambridge | $3,203 | $3,360 | $3,990 | $4,788 | $5,282 |
| 02142 | Cambridge | $3,486 | $3,749 | $4,452 | $5,387 | $5,933 |
- CHA sets Cambridge payment standards by ZIP code (02138-02142). For units rented outside the City of Cambridge, CHA says it uses the Boston Housing Authority's payment standard chart.
- CHA's Cambridge amounts differ from BHA's chart in some cells for the same ZIP (for example 02139 2-bedroom: CHA $4,211).
- CHA's SRO and 5-bedroom amounts are not reproduced here.
Cambridge Housing Authority Section 8 waiting list: Open
Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV/Section 8) (waitlist is open)
Status as published by the authority on October 24, 2026; confirm with the authority before applying. We do not estimate wait times or predict openings. Source: Cambridge Housing Authority – Information for Applicants · All Massachusetts waiting lists · Every state
Contact Cambridge Housing Authority
Phone: (617) 864-3020
Address: 362 Green Street, 3rd floor, Cambridge, MA 02139
HUD rents by ZIP code
2-bedroom HUD figure for each ZIP. Open a ZIP for every unit size.
Rent limits for Cambridge
Other housing authorities in Massachusetts: Boston Housing Authority, Worcester Housing Authority, Metro Housing|Boston
Not sure which authority covers an address? Use the PHA directory. To see how Cambridge Housing Authority compares with other authorities, open payment standards by housing authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Cambridge Housing Authority's payment standards for 2026?
Cambridge Housing Authority's 2-bedroom payment standards run from $3,833 to $4,452 a month across 5 ZIP codes, effective January 1, 2026. These are Cambridge Housing Authority's own amounts, from the schedule we read on October 24, 2026; find your ZIP code in the table below. Cambridge Housing Authority's official schedule: CHA Payment Standard & Utility Deductions page (Cambridge payment standards by ZIP code, effective January 1, 2026).
What is the Cambridge Housing Authority payment standard?
Cambridge Housing Authority's published 2-bedroom payment standards, effective January 1, 2026, range from $3,833 to $4,452 across 5 ZIP codes (source: Cambridge Payment Standards, effective January 1, 2026 (PDF linked from CHA's Payment Standard & Utility Deductions page)). A payment standard is the maximum monthly amount Cambridge Housing Authority uses to calculate a voucher's housing assistance for a given unit size. Cambridge Housing Authority 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. Cambridge Housing Authority is a HUD Moving to Work (MTW) agency, so it can use MTW flexibility to set payment standards outside that usual range.
Why might Cambridge Housing Authority'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. Cambridge Housing Authority's own published amounts, effective January 1, 2026, are in its schedule table on this page, and they can sit outside 90% to 110% of HUD's figures. HUD's rule (24 CFR 982.503) calls 90% up to 110% of the published FMR the basic range, but lets an authority set exception payment standards above 110% (between 110% and 120% on notification to HUD, higher with HUD approval) and, with HUD approval, amounts below the basic range. As a Moving to Work agency, Cambridge Housing Authority may also use local payment standards outside the basic range. Cambridge Housing Authority also adopts new amounts on its own schedule, so its amounts may have been set against an earlier year's HUD figures; when new figures would put them outside the basic range, the rule gives it 3 months to revise them. Always use Cambridge Housing Authority's own published schedule for your actual voucher amount.
Where can I find Cambridge Housing Authority's official payment standard schedule?
Cambridge Housing Authority publishes its schedule on its website: CHA Payment Standard & Utility Deductions page (Cambridge payment standards by ZIP code, effective January 1, 2026). If you have a voucher, your briefing packet or caseworker can also confirm the amount for your unit size and ZIP code.
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 Cambridge Housing Authority'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 Cambridge Housing Authority's schedule for the ZIP of the unit, not where you live now.