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

Discover affordable housing in Somerville where there are 28+ 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.

B F Faulkner Towers

25 Highland Ave, Somerville, Massachusetts 02143

Somerville

268 Washington St, Somerville, Massachusetts 02143

Mystic View Apartments

40 River Rd, Somerville, Massachusetts 02145

Vna Lowell Street

259 Lowell St, Somerville, Massachusetts 02144

Pearl Street 219 - 221

219 Pearl St, Somerville, Massachusetts 02145

33 Bow Street

33 Bow St, Somerville, Massachusetts 02143

Ciampa Manor

27 College Ave, Somerville, Massachusetts 02144

131 Highland Avenue

131 Highland Ave, Somerville, Massachusetts 02143

Open Until Further Notice

Reported On February 23rd, 2024 by Nathan Brunet

calendar_today Opened: Jan 6
Open Until Further Notice

Reported On February 23rd, 2024 by Nathan Brunet

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Somerville, 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 Somerville, Massachusetts Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Somerville, 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 Somerville, Massachusetts.
Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Moving to Work programs for Somerville, Massachusetts.
Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs for Somerville, Massachusetts.

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

How many renters live in Somerville, Massachusetts?

The City of Somerville has 79,761 people living in 36,001 households.

There are 49,599 renters living in 24,807 renter households in this City. Renters make up 62.18 percent of the population living in Somerville.

What is the rental market like in Somerville, Massachusetts?

There are an estimated 37,054 housing units in the Somerville area. Of these, 23,585 units are rental homes, making up 64 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Somerville, Massachusetts, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Somerville?

The rental vacancy rate in Somerville is 1 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 Somerville for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Somerville
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
1,246 7,114 8,497 4,600 1,307
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Somerville

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

Among renter households in this market, 35 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 17 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 Somerville

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 Size 2024 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 Somerville, Massachusetts

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

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 379 30 percent
One BR 2,137 30 percent
Two BR 1,217 14 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Somerville, Massachusetts

How many affordable rental units are in Somerville?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 894
Public Housing 583
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 1,064
Mod Rehab Project-Based Rental Assistance 13
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 31
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 33
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Somerville, Massachusetts

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

Income Based Apartments in Somerville, Massachusetts

Somerville features 1,520 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 Somerville, Massachusetts

There are 219 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Somerville.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Somerville, Massachusetts

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Somerville landlords $1,200 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Somerville.

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

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.