An elderly couple smiles warmly in front of an abstract, colorful painting. The man wears a plaid shirt and vest; the woman wears a green jacket.

Voucher Payment Standards & Utility Allowances

Voucher Payment Standards & Utility Allowances

Section 8 Utility & Appliance Allowances for Tenant Paid Utilities – Effective September 1, 2025

Cooking

UtilitySRO0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Gas$5$6$7$10$13$16$19$22
Electric$8$11$15$23$30$37$44$51

Space Heating

UtilitySRO0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Gas$27$36$45$51$55$59$64$69
Electric$33$44$52$63$74$85$97$108

Hot Water

UtilitySRO0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Gas$11$15$18$26$36$44$55$64
Electric$29$39$46$58$71$83$96$108

Lighting

UtilitySRO0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Electric$30$40$50$78$106$134$163$191

Water/Garbage

UtilitySRO0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Water$72$96$101$130$161$195$236$266
Garbage$46$61$61$61$107$107$107$130

Tenant Owned Appliances

UtilitySRO0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Stove$16$21$21$21$21$21$21$21
Refrigerator$19$25$25$25$25$25$25$25

Cooking

Utility0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Gas$6$7$10$13$16$19$22
Electric$13$16$23$30$37$44$51

Space Heating

Utility0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Gas$35$44$52$60$67$74$82
Electric$62$73$83$94$104$114$125

Hot Water

Utility0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Gas$15$18$26$36$45$55$64
Electric$39$46$58$71$83$96$108

Lighting

Utility0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Electric$51$64$98$132$167$201$235

Water/Garbage

Utility0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Water$96$101$130$161$195$236$266
Garbage$61$61$61$107$107$107$130

Tenant Owned Appliances

Utility0BR1BR2BR3BR4BR5BR6BR
Stove$21$21$21$21$21$21$20
Refrigerator$25$25$25$25$25$25$25

Effective November 1, 2025

Voucher Payment Standards – 2026

Bedroom Size2026 OHA Payment Standards
Studio$2,142
One-Bedroom$2,385
Two-Bedroom$2,912
Three-Bedroom$3,724
Four-Bedroom$4,413
Five-Bedroom$5,075
Six-Bedroom$5,737

The Oakland Housing Authority’s Payment Standards for Fiscal Year 2026 are set at 100 percent of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s published Fair Market Rents for Oakland, Alameda County, California.

The Voucher Payment Standard reflected herein is effective as of November 1, 2025. All prior versions of the Payment Standard have been formally archived and are no longer in effect.

Payment Standards will determine the maximum housing assistance a Housing Choice Voucher participant can receive.

The Payment Standard for a family is the lower of (1) the payment standard for the family property size, which is defined as the appropriate number of bedrooms for the family under OHA’s subsidy standards, or (2) the payment standard for the size of the dwelling property rented by the family.​ 

For additional information, please refer to OHA’s Administrative Plan, chapter 6, section III, and chapter 16, section II.