What HUD offices serve West Helena, Arkansas?
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
Go to the Arkansas Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near West Helena.
How many renters live in West Helena, Arkansas?
The City of West Helena has 9,470 people living in 3,595 households.
There are 5,383 renters living in 1,915 renter households in this City. Renters make up 56.84 percent of the population living in West Helena.
What is the rental market like in West Helena, Arkansas?
There are an estimated 5,130 housing units in the West Helena area. Of these, 2,119 units are rental homes, making up 41 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in West Helena, Arkansas, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in West Helena?
The rental vacancy rate in West Helena is 10 percent. This is a higher than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are high it means that there are a lot of available units and rents tend to be lower.
How many rental units are in West Helena for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in West Helena
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 227 | 651 | 941 | 85 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in West Helena
A large number of apartments in West Helena have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in West Helena are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 55 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 27 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How Much Is Rent in West Helena
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $604 to $1,381. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $604 |
| One BR | $622 |
| Two BR | $814 |
| Three BR | $1,147 |
| Four BR | $1,381 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in West Helena, Arkansas
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in West Helena?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 3 | 27 percent |
| One BR | 182 | 80 percent |
| Two BR | 470 | 72 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in West Helena, Arkansas
How many affordable rental units are in West Helena?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in West Helena, Arkansas including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 255 |
| Public Housing | 480 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 183 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 22 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in West Helena, Arkansas
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in West Helena, Arkansas
West Helena features 328 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in West Helena, Arkansas
There are 37 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in West Helena.
Housing Choice Vouchers in West Helena, Arkansas
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay West Helena landlords $400 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in West Helena.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in West Helena, Arkansas for a two-bedroom apartment is between $733 and $895.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
