Where to Find Low-Income Housing

People with low income may qualify for HUD assistance. HUD is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The department does not own rental property but gives money to building owners and states that provide low-income housing opportunities in the form of affordable rental housing.

This website can be used to find an area HUD-approved housing counselor. You can also call 1-800-569-4287 to find a housing counseling agency in your area. Counselors may be from non-profit organizations approved to offer affordable housing and housing assistance advice.

Types of Programs

HUD supports three affordable rental housing programs:

• Privately owned, subsidized housing
• Public housing
• Housing Choice Voucher Program

Subsidized Housing

Landlords of subsidized housing are given money so that they can offer low-income tenants reduced rent. This link may help you find a low-rent apartment management office in or near where you want to live.

Public Housing

States own affordable rental apartments or houses that are offered through the public housing to low-income people who have disabilities or are elderly. Public housing is available all over the U.S. and comes in all types and sizes from high rise apartments to single-family homes. Contact information can be found here.

Eligibility

An area housing authority representative determines public housing eligibility based on:

• Annual gross income
• Qualification as a family, person with a disability, or as an elderly individual
• Eligible immigration status or U.S. citizenship
• Local factors

HUD has developed income limits for housing authorities to use in determining eligibility. The lower income limits are set at 80 percent of the average income for a metropolitan area or county where the applicant wants to live.

Very low-income limits are set at 50 percent of the same areas. Eligibility can vary from state to state or city to city. It is possible to be eligible in one Housing Authority area but not in others. There are income limits from area to area.

The local Public Housing Agency has information about eligibility for local and federal public housing programs. The agency also has information about subsidized housing, rental assistance, and House Choice Vouchers discussed in this article.

You must contact the state’s Public Housing Agency to apply. Either you or a Housing Authority representative will fill out the application that must be written. The following information is typically collected to determine eligibility.

• The name, date of birth, sex, and relationship to the head of the family who will live in the unit
• Current telephone number and address
• Family circumstances (such as being a veteran) that could qualify your family for preferential tenant selection
• Name and address of previous and current landlords to determine suitability as a tenant.
• Source and estimated anticipated income for the next year
• Name and address of employers, banks, and other sources the Housing Authority representative can use to verify income, deductions, and family composition

The representative may conduct an in-home interview to see how the family manages the upkeep of the current home. When the information is gathered, the representative should describe the program and requirements of public housing and answer questions you have.

Documentation such as birth certificates and tax returns will be requested to document the application information. The Housing Authority relies on direct verification from employers, etc. You will have to sign a release form that authorizes the Public Housing Authority to obtain pertinent information.

The Housing Authority provides written notification of your application status. Eligible tenants’ names are placed on a waiting list if the Housing Authority cannot assist an applicant immediately. The Housing Authority contacts applicants when the names reach the top of the list.

Rent Payment Help

The state housing finance agency or the local office for public housing may have aid information for programs administered by your state. Your local HUD office is a valuable resource for information about

• Public housing
• Housing counseling
• Tenant rights in the state in which you live
• Programs that provide help with rent

If immediate emergency assistance is needed, contact the state human/social service agency. The agency can also provide information about any other local help that is available. These agencies can refer those ineligible for benefits to community organizations that may offer relief. You can also contact nonprofit or community groups in your area on your own.

Special Circumstances

Homeless veterans can access this link for information about the housing vouchers offered by the Department of Veteran Affairs that is combined with VA supportive services. A free service called Eldercare Locator connects people with programs and resources designed to help seniors. Rural Housing Service helps rural resident by contacting Local Rural Development offices.

Housing Choice Voucher Program

This program was once referred to as Section 8. It is a program administered by HUD that helps low-income families, the elderly, or disabled people throughout the U.S. pay for rental housing. This program allows participants to find housing on their own which includes apartments, townhouses, and single-family homes.

They use Housing Choice Voucher to make full or partial rent payments. The local Housing Authority determines eligibility. Eligibility is based on

• Annual gross income
• Area median income
• Family, elderly, or disability qualifications
• Eligible immigration status or U.S. citizenship
• Local factors
• Calculations based on family size and total annual gross income

Each city and state has its program eligibility requirements. To learn about Housing Choice Voucher eligibility, contact the local Public Housing Agency. The application process is similar to that of other low-income housing programs.

The application is filled out by you or with the assistance of a local Public Authority representative. Information about family composition, assets, and income is collected. Information will be verified through your bank and employer and other local agencies.

The information is used to determine eligibility and the amount of housing assistance payment. The determined payment amount is what is needed to rent moderately priced homes in the local market. That amount is used in calculating the amount of assistance a family receives.

The maximum assistance is the lesser of the area’s standard payment or the gross rent for the unit minus 30 percent of the family’s monthly adjusted income from either base. The selected housing must meet acceptable safety and health levels. The Public Housing Authority will inspect a unit to be occupied after an agreement is reached with the landlord to determine the reasonableness of the rent requested.