There are 8,164 low-income apartments in Suffolk County that offer reduced rents to eligible households. Low-income rents in Suffolk County, Massachusetts can range from $946 to $4,297 depending on the number of bedrooms.
Rental assistance programs support 23,964 low-income homes in Suffolk County where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2023, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $465 towards rent each month.
Affordable rent data for some communities last confirmed on March 31st, 2023. Subdsidized rents typically change once a year based on federal guidance.
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.
Housing Authority | Programs |
---|---|
Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Moving to Work |
Suffolk County features 23,964 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
There are 8,164 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Suffolk County.
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Suffolk County landlords $1,200 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in Suffolk County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Suffolk County, Massachusetts for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,372 and $2,899.
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 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Suffolk County, Massachusetts Fair Market Rent | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
Suffolk County, Massachusetts Payment Standard Range | $1,823 to $2,228 | $1,978 to $2,418 | $2,372 to $2,899 | $2,886 to $3,528 | $3,186 to $3,894 |
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 382 |
---|---|
Total Low Income Apartments | 33,225 |
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 23,964 |
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 64.38% |
Average Renter Household Size | 2.32 |
Average Household Size | 2.39 |
Median Household Income | $55,044 ±$992 |
Median Rent | $1,298 ±$12 |
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 49.63% ± 1.1pp |
Total Population | 758,919 |
Suffolk County is a county in Massachusetts with a population of 758,919. There are 296,672 households in the county with an average household size of 2.39 persons. 64.38% of households in Suffolk County are renters.
The median gross income for households in Suffolk County is $55,044 a year, or $4,587 a month. The median rent for the county is $1,298 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Suffolk County, a household making less than $4,327 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 49.63% of households who rent are overburdened in Suffolk 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 Suffolk County, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $149,300
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 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.
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 Suffolk County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households. |
$31,150 | $35,600 | $40,050 | $44,500 | $48,100 | $51,650 | $55,200 | $58,750 |
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Suffolk County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households. |
$51,950 | $59,400 | $66,800 | $74,200 | $80,150 | $86,100 | $92,050 | $97,950 |
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Suffolk County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households. |
$82,950 | $94,800 | $106,650 | $118,450 | $127,950 | $137,450 | $146,900 | $156,400 |