San Diego, California Affordable Housing
Waiting Lists in San Diego, California
There are two Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting lists open in San Diego.
Go to the California Section 8 Waiting Lists page for more openings near San Diego.
Finding Affordable Housing in San Diego, California
There are 12,183 low-income apartments in San Diego that offer reduced rents to eligible households. Low-income rents in San Diego, California can range from $597 to $2,795 depending on the number of bedrooms.
Rental assistance programs support 6,329 low-income homes in San Diego where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2023, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $490 towards rent each month.
Affordable Housing Near San Diego
View affordable apartments and waiting lists in cities near San Diego
| City | Apartments |
|---|---|
| Chula Vista, CA | Affordable Housing programs support 24 apartment communities in Chula Vista. |
| San Marcos, CA | Affordable Housing programs support 23 apartment communities in San Marcos. |
| Escondido, CA | Affordable Housing programs support 22 apartment communities in Escondido. |
| Oceanside, CA | Affordable Housing programs support 20 apartment communities in Oceanside. |
| Vista, CA | Affordable Housing programs support 16 apartment communities in Vista. |
Public Housing Agencies Serving San Diego, 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.
| Housing Authority | Programs |
|---|---|
| San Diego Housing Commission | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing; Moving to Work |
| Housing Authority of the County of San Diego | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing; Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH); Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV); Moderate Rehabilitation; Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) |
San Diego, California Affordable Housing Data
Income Based Apartments in San Diego, California
San Diego features 6,329 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 San Diego, California
There are 12,183 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in San Diego.
Housing Choice Vouchers in San Diego, California
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay San Diego landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in San Diego.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in San Diego, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,159 and $2,639.
2023 San Diego, California Fair Market Rents and Housing Choice Voucher Payment Standards
Fair Market Rents can be used to better understand the average housing costs of an area. Fair Market Rents are used by HUD to establish payment and rent standards for federal rental assistance programs like the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.
| Studio | One BR | Two BR | Three BR | Four BR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, California Fair Market Rent | $1,714 | $1,885 | $2,399 | $3,279 | $3,988 |
| San Diego, California Payment Standard Range | $1,543 to $1,885 | $1,697 to $2,074 | $2,159 to $2,639 | $2,951 to $3,607 | $3,589 to $4,387 |
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
San Diego, CA Affordable Housing Snapshot
| Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 201 |
|---|---|
| Total Low Income Apartments | 19,196 |
| Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 6,329 |
| Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 53.15% |
| Average Renter Household Size | 2.67 |
| Average Household Size | 2.73 |
| Median Household Income | $66,116 ±$619 |
| Median Rent | $1,377 ±$9 |
| Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 51.74% ± 0.87pp |
| Total Population | 1,359,791 |
Population and Household Demographics
San Diego is a city in San Diego County, California with a population of 1,359,791. There are 485,091 households in the city with an average household size of 2.73 persons. 53.15% of households in San Diego are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in San Diego
The median gross income for households in San Diego is $66,116 a year, or $5,510 a month. The median rent for the city is $1,377 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In San Diego, a household making less than $4,590 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 51.74% of households who rent are overburdened in San Diego.
Area Median Income In San Diego
Affordable housing program eligibility is always determined by one's income. Each household's income is compared to the incomes of all other households in the area. This is accomplished through a statistic established by the government called the Area Median Income, most often referred to as AMI. The AMI is calculated and published each year by HUD.
HUD often uses an area larger than a city to determine the AMI because HUD anticipates those searching for housing will look beyond individual cities during their housing search. For San Diego, the AMI is calculated from all households within San Diego County.
In San Diego, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $106,900
Most affordable housing programs determine eligibility based on the percent of AMI a given household's income is. Among the programs that determine eligibility based on the AMI are Section 8, HOME, LIHTC, Section 515, 202 and 811.
Rental Assistance in San Diego
Rental assistance is a type of housing subsidy that pays for a portion of a renter’s monthly housing costs, including rent and tenant paid utilities. This housing assistance can come in the form of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, project-based Section 8 contracts, public housing, USDA Rental Assistance (in Section 515 properties) as well as HUD Section 202 and 811 properties for elderly and disabled households.
Income Qualifications for HUD Rental Assistance in San Diego
| 1 Person | 2 Person | 3 Person | 4 Person | 5 Person | 6 Person | 7 Person | 8 Person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 30% of the San Diego AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households. |
$27,350 | $31,250 | $35,150 | $39,050 | $42,200 | $45,300 | $48,450 | $51,550 |
| 50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the San Diego AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households. |
$45,550 | $52,050 | $58,550 | $65,050 | $70,300 | $75,500 | $80,700 | $85,900 |
| 80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the San Diego AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households. |
$72,900 | $83,300 | $93,700 | $104,100 | $112,450 | $120,800 | $129,100 | $137,450 |
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