Search Low Income Apartments And Waiting Lists

To file a complaint about your unit or the property you are living in, contact the housing authority or management company that manages your unit.

You can use the search bar on the top of this page to search for housing authority or apartment community contact information.

If you feel you have been mistreated by a housing authority, apartment community, or landlord, visit HUD's web page here, and submit a complaint through the appropriate category.

If you are seeking legal advice, there are legal aid offices in every state that help low-income persons. You can search for a legal aid office near you here.

Link to this FAQ: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-help/How-Can-I-File-A-Complaint-To-The-Office

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, commonly abbreviated as HUD, is the main agency that oversees federal affordable housing and community development programs. It was created as a cabinet-level department in 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty.

Since 2017, Ben Carson has served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the Trump Administration. The position was last held by Julian Castro from 2014 until 2017.

Housing Opportunity and Rental Assistance

HUD administers affordable housing programs that help low-income households pay for rent. Through these programs, HUD may also offer supportive services, utility cost reimbursements, self-sufficiency planning, and job training for eligible households. The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, and Public Housing are HUD’s primary affordable housing programs.

HUD also funds housing for populations with special needs. These programs include the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly, Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs. HUD also administers grants to help persons experiencing homelessness, including shelters, transitional housing, and services.

Community Development

HUD provides funding to states, counties, and cities for public infrastructure and economic development. Some of these programs can be used to build or rehabilitate affordable housing including the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). Through the Office of Public and Indian Housing, HUD provides block grants to tribes for housing and community development through the Indian Housing Block Grant and Indian Community Development Block Grant programs.

Affordable Homeownership

HUD assists homebuyers through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). FHA-insured mortgages have helped millions of first-time homebuyers purchase homes. HUD also oversees lead paint and hazard removal programs, and standards for manufactured housing.

Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

HUD is charged with enforcing the Fair Housing Act to address housing discrimination through the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. HUD also administers funds to rebuild communities after natural disasters through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief program.

Link to this FAQ: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-help/what-is-hud-housing

Section 8 is the common term for federal low-income rental assistance programs managed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The term Section 8 is usually used to describe the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, which helps tenants pay rent based on their income, and pays participating landlords the remainder of the rent. "Section 8" can also refer to the Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV) program, and the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program. In both programs, the tenant typically pays 30% of their monthly income for housing costs.

Section 8 may also refer to either the tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program or the Project-based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program.

It gets its name from being Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937.

Link to this FAQ: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-help/what-is-section-8

An eviction is when a landlord who owns a property removes a tenant who is occupying that property. A formal eviction requires the tenant and landlord to go through a legal process.

Evictions may occur if the tenant does not follow the rules agreed to in the landlord’s lease, and in some areas, landlords do not need a reason to evict. Tenants may be evicted for a number of reasons, including not paying rent, destruction of property, illegal activity, disrupting other tenants on the property, or violating rules of a lease.

Link to this FAQ: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-help/what-is-an-eviction

Because of the high demand of affordable housing, and comparatively low supply, it is not rare to be on a waiting list for several years. For example, in some areas, 20,000+ people may apply through an office that is only placing 1,000 of those applicants on the waiting list. Generally, large metropolitan areas have long waiting lists, while lower populated areas have shorter waiting lists. There are housing authorities and apartment communities with very short waiting lists, or no waiting lists at all, but these opportunities are extremely rare.

Also, the Section 8 and Public Housing programs tend to have the longest waiting lists. Affordable housing properties that offer other programs, such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit programs, likely have shorter waiting lists than Section 8 and Public Housing. You can search our website for your area of interest, and scroll down to the list of affordable housing communities that may have other programs available.

Please contact the housing authority or apartment community for more information.

Link to this FAQ: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-help/Why-Is-The-Wait-So-Long