Public housing is living space rented or leased by a governmental body directly to low-income residents. These do not include private apartments which accept government vouchers for low-income residents. Most public housing is multi-unit, but it can include single-family homes as long as they are owned and leased by a government.

The governmental body supplies the housing directly as owner and landlord. A private landlord accepting a government voucher does not make its apartments public housing under this definition.

The homes can be individual houses or units within a larger residential building. Building form does not replace the government-ownership and direct-letting conditions.