Chandler AZ public housing waitlist is open through April 17 for larger families
Chandler is taking public housing pre-applications through noon April 17 for three-, four-, and five-bedroom households, with 350 spots chosen by lottery.
Chandler has reopened its public housing waitlist for larger family sizes, with pre-applications accepted from noon Friday, April 3, 2026, through noon Friday, April 17, 2026.
The opening applies only to three-, four-, and five-bedroom public housing units. For households that may qualify, the short filing window matters: the City of Chandler says applicants must complete both parts of the process for a submission to count. That means creating an online account first and then finishing the pre-application. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted.
How the application process works
According to the city, residents can apply online or request a paper pre-application. Paper forms are available in English and Spanish, and the Housing and Redevelopment Division says residents can ask for additional language help or reasonable accommodations.
Completed paper pre-applications can be mailed, emailed, dropped off in person, or placed in the after-hours dropbox, as long as they meet the city’s deadline rules. In-person submissions go to the Housing and Redevelopment Division at 235 S. Arizona Ave. in downtown Chandler, where office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The city’s housing FAQ also notes that public housing and the Housing Choice Voucher program, often called Section 8, are separate programs. This waitlist opening is for public housing only.
What the lottery does — and does not — mean
Chandler says it will use a random lottery to place 350 completed pre-applications onto the waitlist. That is not the same as immediate housing placement. It means 350 applicants will be selected for a spot on the waitlist, while households not chosen will need to apply again the next time the city reopens it.
The city also says this round covers only its existing public housing sites. It does not include Villas on McQueen, which is being handled separately.
That makes this a practical but limited opening for Chandler families who need a larger unit. It is a chance to get onto the list, not a same-day housing solution.
Why it matters: Chandler’s 2025 Housing Needs Assessment found that 43.5% of renter households in the city were cost-burdened, meaning they spent more than 30% of income on housing. The same city document said 17.4% were severely cost-burdened, spending more than half their income on housing. Those figures are city housing-planning context rather than a live market snapshot, but they help explain why even a narrow waitlist reopening is significant for local families facing rent pressure.
