Housing agencies that run Section 8 vouchers in Phoenix, Atlanta, Chicago and Denver are working from HUD fair market rents of $1,734, $1,762, $2,011 and $2,169 for a two-bedroom home in fiscal 2027. The figures took effect Oct. 1, 2026, and they set the base for the payment standard that decides how much of a voucher holder’s rent and utilities the program covers. Older renters on fixed incomes are among the households that rely on the program.
Four Metro Areas, Four Different Rent Levels
The Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes the numbers each year in a county-by-county schedule. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler area the fiscal 2027 schedule lists $1,390 for an efficiency, $1,493 for a one-bedroom and $1,734 for a two-bedroom. The Chicago-Joliet-Naperville area runs $1,678, $1,780 and $2,011 for the same three sizes.
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell shows $1,554 for an efficiency, $1,619 for a one-bedroom and $1,762 for a two-bedroom, according to HUD’s fiscal 2027 schedule of metropolitan and non-metropolitan fair market rents. Denver-Aurora-Centennial is the highest of the four at $1,751, $1,831 and $2,169. A two-bedroom in Denver therefore carries a benchmark $435 above one in Phoenix…