Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Columbia, MD

Discover affordable housing in Columbia where there are 51+ 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.

BB Homes Building #1

9017 Moving Water, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Supported Living Building #10

5364 Red Lake , Columbia, Maryland 21044

Supported Living Building #9

9359 Torrent Row, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Supported Living Building #8

9343 Sharp Antler, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Supported Living Building #7

9341 Our time Lane , Columbia, Maryland 21044

Supported Living Building #6

7218 Lasting Light, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Supported Living Building #4

7419 Hickory Log, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Supported Living Building #5

7013 Knighthood Lane, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Supported Living Building #2

5013 Cloudburst, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Supportive Living Building #1

9596 Basket Ring, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Transitional Housing Resources Building #2

5715, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Transitional Housing Resources Building #3

10898 Rock Coast, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Residential Opportunities Building #7

8904 Blade Green, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Residential Opportunities Building #6

7273 Procopio Circle , Columbia, Maryland 21044

Residential Opportunities Building #5

6792 Pyramid Way, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Access Homes Building #1

6182 Satinwood Drive , Columbia, Maryland 21044

Access Homes Building #2

6171 Wicker Basket , Columbia, Maryland 21046

Residential Opportunities Building #1

10162 Placid Lake, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Residential Opportunities Building #2

10280 Daystar Court, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Residential Opportunities Building #3

5435 Hildebrand Court, Columbia, Maryland 21044

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Columbia, Maryland
$36.80/hour
$21.80 (+145%) more than Maryland minimum wage and $29.55 (+408%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Columbia, Maryland Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Columbia, Maryland?

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 Columbia, Maryland.

Go to the Maryland Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Columbia.

How many renters live in Columbia, Maryland?

The City of Columbia has 101,734 people living in 40,689 households.

There are 38,156 renters living in 15,598 renter households in this City. Renters make up 37.51 percent of the population living in Columbia.

What is the rental market like in Columbia, Maryland?

There are an estimated 43,185 housing units in the Columbia area. Of these, 15,661 units are rental homes, making up 36 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Columbia, Maryland, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Columbia?

The rental vacancy rate in Columbia is 6 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 Columbia for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Columbia
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
456 4,458 5,847 2,612 1,070
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Columbia

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

Among renter households in this market, 44 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 20 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 Columbia

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,379 to $2,849. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $1,379
One BR $1,582
Two BR $1,943
Three BR $2,519
Four BR $2,849
2024 Fair Market Rents in Columbia, Maryland

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

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 272 60 percent
One BR 1,379 31 percent
Two BR 947 16 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Columbia, Maryland

How many affordable rental units are in Columbia?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Columbia, Maryland including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 997
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 966
Section 236 Rental Assistance 128
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 72
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Columbia, Maryland

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

Income Based Apartments in Columbia, Maryland

Columbia features 1,128 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 Columbia, Maryland

There are 643 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Columbia.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Columbia, Maryland

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Columbia landlords $1,400 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $600 towards rent in Columbia.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Columbia, Maryland for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,749 and $2,137.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.