San Francisco, California Affordable Housing
Affordable Housing programs support 15,513 income based apartments in San Francisco where households pay rent based on how much they earn.
There are 9,990 affordable apartments in San Francisco that offer reduced rents to low-income households.
Waiting Lists in San Francisco, California
There are no open Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting lists in San Francisco. Go to the California Section 8 Waiting Lists page for openings near San Francisco.
Market Heights Apartments
Leland Polk Senior Community
El Bethel Arms
John Burton Housing Complex
Marcy Adelman and Jeanette Gurevitch Openhouse Community
Alcantara Court
1036 Mission Street Apartments
Public Housing Agencies Serving San Francisco, 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 Francisco Housing Authority | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing; Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV); Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) |
San Francisco, California Affordable Housing Data
Income Based Apartments in San Francisco, California
San Francisco features 15,513 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 Francisco, California
There are 9,990 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in San Francisco.
Housing Choice Vouchers in San Francisco, California
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay San Francisco landlords $1,900 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in San Francisco.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in San Francisco, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,869 and $3,507.
2023 San Francisco, 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 Francisco, California Fair Market Rent | $2,156 | $2,665 | $3,188 | $3,912 | $4,283 |
| San Francisco, California Payment Standard Range | $1,940 to $2,372 | $2,399 to $2,932 | $2,869 to $3,507 | $3,521 to $4,303 | $3,855 to $4,711 |
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
San Francisco, CA Affordable Housing Snapshot
| Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 275 |
|---|---|
| Total Low Income Apartments | 26,244 |
| Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 15,513 |
| Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 63.57% |
| Average Renter Household Size | 2.10 |
| Average Household Size | 2.32 |
| Median Household Income | $81,294 ±$1,099 |
| Median Rent | $1,558 ±$16 |
| Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 41.71% ± 0.98pp |
| Total Population | 840,763 |
Population and Household Demographics
San Francisco is a city in San Francisco County, California with a population of 840,763. There are 353,287 households in the city with an average household size of 2.32 persons. 63.57% of households in San Francisco are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in San Francisco
The median gross income for households in San Francisco is $81,294 a year, or $6,775 a month. The median rent for the city is $1,558 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In San Francisco, a household making less than $5,193 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 41.71% of households who rent are overburdened in San Francisco.
Area Median Income In San Francisco
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 Francisco, the AMI is calculated from all households within San Francisco County.
In San Francisco, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $166,000
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 Francisco
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 Francisco
| 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 Francisco AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households. |
$39,150 | $44,750 | $50,350 | $55,900 | $60,400 | $64,850 | $69,350 | $73,800 |
| 50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the San Francisco AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households. |
$65,250 | $74,600 | $83,900 | $93,200 | $100,700 | $108,150 | $115,600 | $123,050 |
| 80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the San Francisco AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households. |
$104,400 | $119,300 | $134,200 | $149,100 | $161,050 | $173,000 | $184,900 | $196,850 |
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