Affordable Housing In Sonoma County
California
118 Low Income Apartment Communities In Sonoma County
Vinecrest Senior Apartments
Casa Grande Senior Apartments
Edith Street Senior Apartments
Acacia Lane Senior Apartments
Copeland Creek Apartments
There are 118 low income housing apartment complexes which contain 8,232 affordable apartments for rent in Sonoma County. Many of these rental apartments are income based housing with 2,305 apartments that set rent based on your income. In Sonoma County, HUD housing programs support 1,723 rental assistance apartments through programs like Project-based Section 8. There are 5,852 other low income apartments that don't have rental assistance but are cheaper than market rate rents.
Housing Authorities that serve Sonoma County
| Housing Authority | Programs |
|---|---|
| Sonoma County Community Development Commission | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Family Self-sufficiency; Mainstream Voucher; Family Unification Program (FUP) |
Other Housing Authorities located in Sonoma County
| Housing Authority | Programs |
|---|---|
| City of Santa Rosa Housing Authority | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) |
Guide To Affordable Housing in Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, CA Affordable Housing Snapshot
| Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 118 |
|---|---|
| Total Low Income Apartments | 8,232 |
| Total Rent Assisted Apartments | 2,305 |
| Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 40.57% |
| Average Renter Household Size | 2.65 |
| Total Population | 495,078 |
| Housing Units | 187,782 |
| Average Household Size | 2.59 |
| Median Household Income | $64,240 ±$1,224 |
| Median Rent | $1,320 ±$20 |
| Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 53.86% ± 1.84pp |
Population and Household Demographics
Sonoma County is a County in California with a population of 495,078. There are 187,782 households in the county with an average household size of 2.59 persons. 40.57% of households in Sonoma County are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in Sonoma County
The median gross income for households in Sonoma County is $64,240 a year, or $5,353 a month. The median rent for the county is $1,320 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Sonoma County, a household making less than $4,400 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 53.86% of households who rent are overburdened in Sonoma County.1
Area Median Income In Sonoma County
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.
In Sonoma County, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $93,300
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 Sonoma County
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 Sonoma County HUD Rental Assistance in Sonoma County
| Income | 1 Person | 2 Person | 3 Person | 4 Person | 5 Person | 6 Person | 7 Person | 8 Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% of Median | $22,700 | $25,950 | $29,200 | $32,400 | $35,000 | $37,600 | $40,200 | $43,430 |
| 50% of Median | $37,800 | $43,200 | $48,600 | $54,000 | $58,350 | $62,650 | $67,000 | $71,300 |
| 80% of Median | $60,500 | $69,150 | $77,800 | $86,400 | $93,350 | $100,250 | $107,150 | $114,050 |
Low Income Housing Tax Credits in Sonoma County
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program aims to create affordable rental housing for low and very low income families.
From 1989 to 2012, 75 low income apartment communities containing 5,140 rental apartments have been constructed and made affordable to low income persons in Sonoma County by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program.
If your income is less than 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), you should not expect to pay more than the rent value for a unit in the table below. However, Affordable apartment communities that receive funding through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program may have rental units that are not subject to income and rent limits.
Rent limits for the LIHTC Program are determined so that a household making the maximum income for the expected household size of the unit would only pay 30% of their income for rent.
Income Qualifications for Low Income Housing Tax Credit Apartments in Sonoma County
| Income | 1 Person | 2 Person | 3 Person | 4 Person | 5 Person | 6 Person | 7 Person | 8 Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% of Median | $37,800 | $43,200 | $48,600 | $54,000 | $58,350 | $62,650 | $67,000 | $71,300 |
| 60% of Median | $45,360 | $51,840 | $58,320 | $64,800 | $70,020 | $75,180 | $80,400 | $85,560 |
For example, the expected household size for a two bedroom apartment is 3 people. Using the table above, the maximum income for a 3 person household at 60% of the AMI in Sonoma County is $58,320 a year, or $4,860 a month. To determine the maximum rent in the table below we multiply the monthly maximum income, $4,860 by 30% to get a maximum rent of $1,458 a month.
Rent for units in the LIHTC Program include a utility allowance which is determined by the average monthly cost of utilities paid directly by residents. This allowance has not been subtracted from the rents in the table below. These utility allowances are set on a property by property basis.
| % of AMI | Studio | 1 Bed | 2 Bed | 3 Bed | 4 Bed | 5 Bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | $945 | $1,013 | $1,215 | $1,404 | $1,566 | $1,729 |
| 60% | $1,134 | $1,215 | $1,458 | $1,685 | $1,880 | $2,075 |
Fair Market Rents in Sonoma County
Fair Market Rents, often abbreviated as FMR, can be used to better understand the average housing costs of an area. Notably, Fair Market Rents are used to establish the payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, maximum rents in HOME financed rental projects and initial rents for Section 8 project based assistance.
2019 Fair Market Rents
| Studio | One BR | Two BR | Three BR | Four BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,254 | $1,447 | $1,887 | $2,728 | $3,298 |
Cities In Sonoma County
Select A City to View its Apartment Communities and Waiting Lists.
| City | Listings | Served By |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa | 51 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agencies that serve Santa Rosa are the Sonoma County Community Development Commission and City of Santa Rosa Housing Authority. |
| Petaluma | 23 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Petaluma is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Sonoma | 7 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Sonoma is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Windsor | 6 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Windsor is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Rohnert Park | 9 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Rohnert Park is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Cloverdale | 5 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Cloverdale is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Healdsburg | 7 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Healdsburg is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Sebastopol | 4 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Sebastopol is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Cotati | 4 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Cotati is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Sea Ranch | 1 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Sea Ranch is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Bloomfield | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Bloomfield is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Bodega | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Bodega is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Bodega Bay | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Bodega Bay is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Boyes Hot Springs | 1 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Boyes Hot Springs is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Carmet | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Carmet is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Cazadero | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Cazadero is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Eldridge | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Eldridge is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| El Verano | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves El Verano is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Fetters Hot Springs Agua Caliente | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Fetters Hot Springs Agua Caliente is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Forestville | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Forestville is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Fulton | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Fulton is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Geyserville | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Geyserville is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Glen Ellen | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Glen Ellen is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Graton | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Graton is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Guerneville | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Guerneville is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Jenner | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Jenner is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Kenwood | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Kenwood is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Larkfield Wikiup | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Larkfield Wikiup is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Monte Rio | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Monte Rio is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Occidental | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Occidental is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Penngrove | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Penngrove is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Roseland | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Roseland is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Salmon Creek | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Salmon Creek is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Sereno del Mar | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Sereno del Mar is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Temelec | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Temelec is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Timber Cove | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Timber Cove is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Valley Ford | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Valley Ford is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
| Larkfield-Wikiup | 0 | The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Larkfield-Wikiup is the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. |
