PHA Directory / San Diego County Housing Authority
San Diego County Housing Authority Payment Standards 2026–27
Housing Authority of the County of San Diego runs the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program for San Diego County outside the City of San Diego. 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. Below are HUD's FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026) figures for the 55 ZIP codes in its area, the benchmark San Diego County Housing Authority's schedule is built from.
San Diego County Housing Authority Utility Allowances 2026
Monthly allowances for utilities the tenant pays, effective March 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: Housing Authority of the County of San Diego utility allowance schedule (PDF, effective March 1, 2026) (read October 17, 2026).
| Utility | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 5 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heating | ||||||
| Heating – natural gas | $21 | $25 | $28 | $31 | $34 | $36 |
| Heating – bottled gas | $34 | $48 | $61 | $75 | $95 | $109 |
| Heating – electric | $16 | $19 | $25 | $33 | $38 | $43 |
| Heating – electric heat pump | $14 | $16 | $20 | $27 | $30 | $33 |
| Cooking | ||||||
| Cooking – natural gas | $5 | $6 | $9 | $12 | $15 | $17 |
| Cooking – bottled gas | $10 | $14 | $18 | $22 | $28 | $32 |
| Cooking – electric | $10 | $11 | $16 | $21 | $29 | $39 |
| Other electric | ||||||
| Other electric (lights, appliances) | $36 | $43 | $60 | $76 | $93 | $110 |
| Air conditioning | ||||||
| Air conditioning | $8 | $10 | $20 | $25 | $31 | $36 |
| Water heating | ||||||
| Water heating – natural gas | $11 | $13 | $19 | $26 | $32 | $39 |
| Water heating – bottled gas | $16 | $22 | $29 | $35 | $45 | $51 |
| Water heating – electric | $22 | $25 | $32 | $46 | $61 | $74 |
| Water heating – electric heat pump | $11 | $13 | $19 | $26 | $32 | $39 |
| Water, sewer and trash | ||||||
| Water | $105 | $112 | $161 | $236 | $314 | $398 |
| Sewer | $31 | $31 | $31 | $31 | $31 | $31 |
| Trash collection | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 | $36 |
| Tenant-supplied appliances | ||||||
| Range/microwave | $5 | $5 | $5 | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Refrigerator | $9 | $9 | $9 | $9 | $9 | $9 |
- One schedule for all unit types; the form leaves Unit Type blank.
- The authority also posts a separate energy-efficient version of this schedule, which is not shown here.
- The schedule prints no amounts for fuel oil.
Contact San Diego County Housing Authority
Phone: (858) 694-4890
Address: 3989 Ruffin Road, San Diego, CA 92123
HUD rents by ZIP code
2-bedroom HUD figure for each ZIP. Open a ZIP for every unit size.
$2,61091902 Bonita
$2,87091905 Boulevard
$2,64091906 Campo
$2,08091910 Chula Vista
$2,59091911 Chula Vista
$2,66091913 Chula Vista
$3,74091914 Chula Vista
$4,12091915 Chula Vista
$3,81091916 Descanso
$2,82091917 Dulzura
$2,73091931 Guatay
$3,06091932 Imperial Beach
$2,59091934 Jacumba
$2,79091935 Jamul
$2,73091941 La Mesa
$2,63091942 La Mesa
$2,84091945 Lemon Grove
$2,35091948 Mount Laguna
$2,81091962 Pine Valley
$3,29091963 Potrero
$2,82091977 Spring Valley
$2,42091978 Spring Valley
$2,94091980 Tecate
$2,82092003 Bonsall
$2,76092004 Borrego Springs
$1,75092014 Del Mar
$4,17092019 El Cajon
$2,84092020 El Cajon
$2,51092021 El Cajon
$2,44092025 Escondido
$2,59092026 Escondido
$2,80092027 Escondido
$2,50092028 Fallbrook
$2,30092029 Escondido
$3,03092036 Julian
$2,23092040 Lakeside
$2,48092059 Pala
$1,99092060 Palomar Mountain
$1,92092061 Pauma Valley
$2,52092064 Poway
$2,97092065 Ramona
$2,51092066 Ranchita
$1,84092067 Rancho Santa Fe
$3,63092069 San Marcos
$2,82092070 Santa Ysabel
$2,25092071 Santee
$2,75092075 Solana Beach
$3,94092078 San Marcos
$3,19092082 Valley Center
$2,05092083 Vista
$2,79092084 Vista
$2,60092086 Warner Springs
$1,84092091 Rancho Santa Fe
$3,51092118 Coronado
$4,230
Rent limits for Chula Vista
Other housing authorities in California: HACLA, SDHC, SFHA, SHRA, Santa Clara County Housing Authority, Anaheim Housing Authority, LACDA, OCHA, HACLB, HACSB, Fresno Housing, Riverside County Housing Authority, Oakland Housing Authority, Santa Ana Housing Authority, Garden Grove Housing Authority, Santa Cruz County Housing Authority
Not sure which authority covers an address? Use the PHA directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the San Diego County Housing Authority payment standard?
A payment standard is the maximum monthly amount San Diego County Housing Authority uses to calculate a voucher's housing assistance for a given unit size. San Diego County 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.
What are San Diego County Housing Authority's utility allowances for 2026?
San Diego County Housing Authority's current utility allowances took effect on March 1, 2026 (source: Housing Authority of the County of San Diego utility allowance schedule (PDF, effective March 1, 2026)). For a 2-bedroom, the allowance for a single utility ranges from $5 to $161 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 San Diego County 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. San Diego County Housing Authority 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. When new HUD figures would put its payment standards outside the basic range, HUD rules require the authority to revise them within three months of the new figures taking effect. Always use San Diego County Housing Authority's own published schedule for your actual voucher amount.
Where can I find San Diego County Housing Authority's official payment standard schedule?
On San Diego County Housing Authority's website (https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/sdhcd/) 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 San Diego County 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 San Diego County Housing Authority's schedule for the ZIP of the unit, not where you live now.