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.

Households who qualify for these programs may also qualify for Project-Based Section 8, which contributes rental assistance payments directly to private landlords on behalf of low-income tenants. Eligibility for the project-based program is similar to the voucher programs, but waiting list and application policies will vary depending on the landlord.

Public Housing Agencies Serving Key West, Florida

Housing Authority	Programs
Housing Authority of the City of Key West	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing
Monroe County Housing Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing

Guide To Affordable Housing in Key West, Florida

There are 13 low income housing apartment communities offering 1,102 affordable apartments for rent in Key West, Florida.

Income Based Apartments in Key West, Florida

Key West features 739 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 Key West, Florida

There are 363 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Key West.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Key West, Florida

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Key West landlords $1,000 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $600 towards rent in Key West.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Key West, Florida for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,583 and $1,935.

2022 Key West, Florida 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
Key West, Florida Fair Market Rent	$1,333	$1,370	$1,759	$2,261	$2,993
Key West, Florida Payment Standard Range	$1,200 to $1,466	$1,233 to $1,507	$1,583 to $1,935	$2,035 to $2,487	$2,694 to $3,292

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Key West, FL Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	13
Total Low Income Apartments	1,102
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	739
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	55.23%
Average Renter Household Size	2.53
Average Household Size	2.53
Median Household Income	$57,042 ±$2,477
Median Rent	$1,514 ±$91
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	60.59% ± 6.6pp
Total Population	25,366

Population and Household Demographics

Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida with a population of 25,366. There are 9,524 households in the city with an average household size of 2.53 persons. 55.23% of households in Key West are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Key West

The median gross income for households in Key West is $57,042 a year, or $4,754 a month. The median rent for the city is $1,514 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Key West, a household making less than $5,047 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 60.59% of households who rent are overburdened in Key West.

Area Median Income In Key West

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 Key West, the AMI is calculated from all households within Monroe County.

In Key West, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $84,400

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 Key West

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 Key West

	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 Key West AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$21,350	$24,400	$27,450	$30,500	$32,950	$35,580	$40,120	$44,660
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Key West AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$35,600	$40,700	$45,800	$50,850	$54,950	$59,000	$63,100	$67,150
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Key West AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$56,950	$65,100	$73,250	$81,350	$87,900	$94,400	$100,900	$107,400

Affordable Housing In Key West Monroe County, Florida

13 Low Income Apartment Communities In Key West

Section 8 Vouchers, Apartments, and Waiting Lists in Key West, Florida