Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in San Rafael, CA

Discover affordable housing in San Rafael where there are 22+ 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.

Duncan Greene Court

410 Mission Ave , San Rafael, California 94901

Martinelli House

1327 Lincoln Ave, San Rafael, California 94901

San Rafael Commons

302 4th St, San Rafael, California 94901

Maria B. Freitas

455 Manuel T Freitas Pkwy, San Rafael, California 94903

Center Interfaith Housing

164 N San Pedro Rd, San Rafael, California 94903

Nova House

393 Nova Albion Way, San Rafael, California 94903

Riveria Apartments

455 Canal St Apt 12 , San Rafael, California 94901

Centertown

855 C St Ste 100 , San Rafael, California 94901

Ecology House

375 Catalina Blvd , San Rafael, California 94901

626 Del Ganado

626 Del Ganado Rd , San Rafael, California 94903

Lincoln Ave. Apartments

1351 Lincoln Ave , San Rafael, California 94901

1103 Lincoln Ave

1103 Lincoln Ave , San Rafael, California 94901

Sundance

95 Medway, San Rafael, California 94901

Rotary Manor

1821 5th Ave , San Rafael, California 94901

Sommerhill Townhomes

30 Novato St, San Rafael, California 94901

Rotary Valley Senior Village

10 Jeannette Prandi Way, San Rafael, California 94903

Pilgrim Park Apartments

96 Pilgrim Way, San Rafael, California 94903

Turina House

10 Labrea Way Apt 1 , San Rafael, California 94903

Mariposa Apartments Roger Green Apartments

7 Mariposa Rd , San Rafael, California 94901

Marin Lagoon

Mariners Circle , San Rafael, California 94903

Open Until Further Notice

Reported On February 23rd, 2024 by Lorena Bentley

Open Until Further Notice

Reported On February 23rd, 2024 by Lorena Bentley

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In San Rafael, California
$63.62/hour
$47.62 (+298%) more than California minimum wage and $56.37 (+777%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About San Rafael, California Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve San Rafael, 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), Public Housing programs for San Rafael, California.

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

How many renters live in San Rafael, California?

The City of San Rafael has 60,891 people living in 23,370 households.

There are 28,620 renters living in 11,249 renter households in this City. Renters make up 47 percent of the population living in San Rafael.

What is the rental market like in San Rafael, California?

There are an estimated 24,385 housing units in the San Rafael area. Of these, 11,649 units are rental homes, making up 48 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in San Rafael, California, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in San Rafael?

The rental vacancy rate in San Rafael 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 San Rafael for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in San Rafael
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
1,302 4,363 3,880 1,080 580
Occupied Rental Units by Size in San Rafael

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

Among renter households in this market, 51 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 26 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 San Rafael

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $2,292 to $4,473. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $2,292
One BR $2,818
Two BR $3,359
Three BR $4,112
Four BR $4,473
2024 Fair Market Rents in San Rafael, California

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

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 345 26 percent
One BR 1,277 29 percent
Two BR 309 8 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in San Rafael, California

How many affordable rental units are in San Rafael?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 289
Public Housing 39
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 156
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 61
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 28
Tracked Units by Federal Program in San Rafael, California

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

Income Based Apartments in San Rafael, California

San Rafael features 369 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 Rafael, California

There are 360 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in San Rafael.

Housing Choice Vouchers in San Rafael, California

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay San Rafael landlords $1,800 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in San Rafael.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in San Rafael, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $3,023 and $3,695.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.