What HUD offices serve Isla Vista, California?
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 California Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Isla Vista.
How many renters live in Isla Vista, California?
The City of Isla Vista has 14,722 people living in 4,762 households.
There are 13,040 renters living in 4,695 renter households in this City. Renters make up 88.57 percent of the population living in Isla Vista.
What is the rental market like in Isla Vista, California?
There are an estimated 5,229 housing units in the Isla Vista area. Of these, 5,069 units are rental homes, making up 97 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Isla Vista, California, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Isla Vista?
The rental vacancy rate in Isla Vista is 3 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Isla Vista for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Isla Vista
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 589 | 1,803 | 1,447 | 578 | 152 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Isla Vista
A large number of apartments in Isla Vista 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 Isla Vista are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 84 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 66 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 Isla Vista
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $2,330 to $4,528. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $2,330 |
| One BR | $2,651 |
| Two BR | $2,994 |
| Three BR | $3,996 |
| Four BR | $4,528 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Isla Vista, California
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Isla Vista?
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 | 355 | 60 percent |
| One BR | 290 | 16 percent |
| Two BR | 360 | 25 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Isla Vista, California
How many affordable rental units are in Isla Vista?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Isla Vista, California including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 78 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 1 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Isla Vista, California
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Isla Vista, California
Isla Vista features 33 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 Isla Vista, California
There are 56 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Isla Vista.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Isla Vista, California
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Isla Vista landlords $1,100 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Isla Vista.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Isla Vista, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,695 and $3,293.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
