Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Irvine, CA

Discover affordable housing in Irvine where there are 32+ housing opportunities based on income and household needs like accessible units for seniors or persons with disabilities. Find and apply to these low income apartments now.

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Irvine, California
$52.71/hour
$36.71 (+229%) more than California minimum wage and $45.46 (+627%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Irvine, California Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Irvine, 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.

Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs for Irvine, California.

Go to the California Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Irvine.

How many renters live in Irvine, California?

The City of Irvine has 313,705 people living in 112,545 households.

There are 165,684 renters living in 65,669 renter households in this City. Renters make up 52.82 percent of the population living in Irvine.

What is the rental market like in Irvine, California?

There are an estimated 119,149 housing units in the Irvine area. Of these, 65,507 units are rental homes, making up 55 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Irvine, California, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Irvine?

The rental vacancy rate in Irvine is 4 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 Irvine for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Irvine
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
4,793 17,007 24,208 11,145 4,004
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Irvine

A large number of apartments in Irvine 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 Irvine are overburdened by housing costs?

Among renter households in this market, 52 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 30 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 Irvine

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $2,200 to $4,467. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $2,200
One BR $2,344
Two BR $2,783
Three BR $3,769
Four BR $4,467
2024 Fair Market Rents in Irvine, California

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Irvine?

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 683 14 percent
One BR 1,846 11 percent
Two BR 1,926 8 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Irvine, California

How many affordable rental units are in Irvine?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Irvine, California including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 2,336
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 721
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 23
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Irvine, California

Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.

Income Based Apartments in Irvine, California

Irvine features 1,181 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 Irvine, California

There are 2,539 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Irvine.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Irvine, California

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Irvine landlords $1,400 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $700 towards rent in Irvine.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Irvine, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,505 and $3,061.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.