PHA Directory / Worcester Housing Authority

Worcester Housing Authority Payment Standards 2026–27

Worcester Housing Authority (WHA) runs the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program for the City of Worcester. 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 14 ZIP codes in its area, the benchmark Worcester Housing Authority's schedule is built from.

Worcester Housing Authority FY2026 payment standards (PDF, effective November 1, 2025)

HUD rent figures for the City of Worcester

HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs), FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026), across 14 ZIP codes. The 90–110% column is the basic range for the median ZIP.

Unit sizeLowest ZIPMedian ZIPHighest ZIP90–110% of median
Studio$1,440$1,577$1,740$1,419–$1,735
1 bedroom$1,450$1,587$1,750$1,428–$1,746
2 bedrooms$1,870$2,043$2,250$1,839–$2,247
3 bedrooms$2,340$2,560$2,820$2,304–$2,816
4 bedrooms$2,670$2,915$3,210$2,624–$3,207

Sources: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs); payment standard rules from 24 CFR 982 Subpart K and HUD's HCV Guidebook: Payment Standards. These are not Worcester Housing Authority's published amounts — confirm yours with Worcester Housing Authority.

Contact Worcester Housing Authority

Official website

HUD rents by ZIP code

2-bedroom HUD figure for each ZIP. Open a ZIP for every unit size.

01601 Worcester
$2,04301602 Worcester
$2,25001603 Worcester
$1,97001604 Worcester
$2,24001605 Worcester
$2,14001606 Worcester
$2,19001607 Worcester
$2,08001608 Worcester
$2,11001609 Worcester
$1,87001610 Worcester
$2,02001613 Worcester
$1,98001614 Worcester
$2,04301653 Worcester
$1,98001655 Worcester
$1,980

Rent limits for Worcester

Other housing authorities in Massachusetts: Boston Housing Authority

Not sure which authority covers an address? Use the PHA directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Worcester Housing Authority payment standard?

A payment standard is the maximum monthly amount Worcester Housing Authority uses to calculate a voucher's housing assistance for a given unit size. Worcester 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.

Why might Worcester 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. Worcester 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 Worcester Housing Authority's own published schedule for your actual voucher amount.

Where can I find Worcester Housing Authority's official payment standard schedule?

Worcester Housing Authority publishes its schedule on its website: Worcester Housing Authority FY2026 payment standards (PDF, effective November 1, 2025). 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 Worcester 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 Worcester Housing Authority's schedule for the ZIP of the unit, not where you live now.