Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Boston, MA

Discover affordable housing in Boston where there are 421+ 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.

Image of Oliver Lofts

Oliver Lofts

166 Terrace Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02120

bed 1-2
payment $1995-2950/mo.
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible
Image of Parmelee Court Homes

Parmelee Court Homes

1782 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02118

bed 1-3
payment $1850-3100/mo.
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible
Image of Langham Court

Langham Court

26 Worcester Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02118

bed Studio-2
payment $1350-2900/mo.
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible
Image of Bancroft

Bancroft

2010 Columbus Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02119

bed 1-3
payment $1191-2240/mo.
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
payment Income Based
accessibility Accessible
Image of Chauncy House Apartments

Chauncy House Apartments

115 Chauncy Street, Boston, Massachusetts 2111

bed Studio-1
payment $946-1014/mo.
payment Subsidized
accessibility Accessible
Image of Symphony Plaza East

Symphony Plaza East

334 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 02115

bed Studio-2
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
payment Subsidized
accessibility Accessible
Image of Symphony Plaza West

Symphony Plaza West

333 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

bed Studio-2
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible
Image of Mason Place

Mason Place

80 Mason Place , Boston, Massachusetts 02111

bed Studio-2
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
payment Subsidized
accessibility Accessible
Image of Washington Beech Apartments

Washington Beech Apartments

4560 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02131

bed 1-4
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
accessibility Accessible
Image of Burbank Gardens

Burbank Gardens

31 Burbank St, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

bed Studio-2
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible
Image of The Stearns

The Stearns

10 Temple Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02111

bed Studio-1
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
payment Subsidized
accessibility Accessible
Image of 61 Heath

61 Heath

61 Heath Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02130

bed 1-3
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
Image of Quincy Towers

Quincy Towers

5 Oak St West, Boston, Massachusetts 02116

bed 1
Image of Victory Housing on Warren Street

Victory Housing on Warren Street

250 Warren St, Boston, Massachusetts 02119

bed Studio
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible
Image of 39 Maple Street Riley House 202

39 Maple Street Riley House 202

39 Maple St, Boston, Massachusetts 02136

bed 1
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
accessibility Accessible
Image of Blue Ledge Co-op

Blue Ledge Co-op

15 Blue Ledge Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02131

bed 1
payment Subsidized
elderly Senior
accessibility Accessible
Image of Westland Apartments

Westland Apartments

66 Westland Ave , Boston, Massachusetts 02115

bed Studio-1
payment Subsidized
accessibility Accessible
Image of Dartmouth Apartments

Dartmouth Apartments

10 Dartmouth St, Boston, Massachusetts 2116

bed Studio-3
Image of Harry and Jeanette Weinberg House

Harry and Jeanette Weinberg House

132 Chestnut Hill Ave, Boston, Massachusetts 02135

bed Studio-1
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
Image of Interfaith Apartments

Interfaith Apartments

282 Columbus Ave, Boston, Massachusetts 02116

bed 1-4
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible

How To Identify Affordable Housing in Boston, Massachusetts

Look for program and preference badges on affordable apartment listings. These badges can help you identify the types of low income housing each apartment offers and if you may be eligbile for rental assistance or reduced rents.

BadgeDescription
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
Low income apartments with no or short waiting lists.
payment Subsidized
Low income housing where the rent is subsidized and the renter pays only a portion of total rent.
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
Apartments that accept Section 8 vouchers near you
elderly Senior
Rental housing for seniors who are 55 (or sometimes 62) and older.
payment Income Based
Affordable apartments where the rent paid is based on renter income.
accessibility Accessible
Meets Accessibilty Requirements of the Fair Housing Act, the ADA, or HUD policy.
accessible_forward Disability
Apartments for individuals or families with disabilities.
real_estate_agent Naturally Affordable
Naturally Occuring Affordable Housing - or NOAH - is any housing unit that offers affordable rent without participating in a rent subsidy program.
calendar_today Opened: Feb 1
Open Until Further Notice
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Reported On May 23rd, 2024 by Nathan Brunet

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Boston, Massachusetts
$53.54/hour
$38.54 (+257%) more than Massachusetts minimum wage and $46.29 (+639%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Boston, Massachusetts Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Boston, Massachusetts?

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 Boston, Massachusetts.
Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Moving to Work programs for Boston, Massachusetts.

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

How many renters live in Boston, Massachusetts?

The City of Boston has people living in households.

There are renters living in renter households in this City. Renters make up 57.1 percent of the population living in Boston.

What is the rental market like in Boston, Massachusetts?

There are an estimated housing units in the Boston area. Of these, units are rental homes, making up percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Boston, Massachusetts, there are 1.05 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Boston?

The rental vacancy rate in Boston is 4 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 Boston for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Boston
StudioOne-BedroomTwo-BedroomThree-BedroomFour+ Bedrooms
19,12357,38362,87834,4578,764
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Boston

A large number of apartments in Boston have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.

How Much Is Rent in Boston

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $2,212 to $3,765. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio$2,212
One BR$2,377
Two BR$2,827
Three BR$3,418
Four BR$3,765
2024 Fair Market Rents in Boston, Massachusetts

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

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 SizeCount of Units Below FMRPercentage of Total Units Below FMR
Studio6,49134 percent
One BR19,15933 percent
Two BR21,79335 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Boston, Massachusetts

How many affordable rental units are in Boston?

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

Federal ProgramUnit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit
Public Housing
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance
Mod Rehab Project-Based Rental Assistance
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Boston, Massachusetts

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

Income Based Apartments in Boston, Massachusetts

Boston features 20,001 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 Boston, Massachusetts

There are 6,257 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Boston.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Boston, Massachusetts

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Boston landlords $1,300 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in Boston.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Boston, Massachusetts for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,544 and $3,110.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

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