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 Bay County, Michigan

Housing Authority	Programs
Bay County Housing Department	Public Housing

Guide To Affordable Housing in Bay County, Michigan

There are 21 low income housing apartment communities offering 1,863 affordable apartments for rent in Bay County, Michigan.

Income Based Apartments in Bay County, Michigan

Bay County features 1,338 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 Bay County, Michigan

There are 525 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Bay County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Bay County, Michigan

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Bay County landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Bay County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Bay County, Michigan for a two-bedroom apartment is between $707 and $865.

2022 Bay County, Michigan 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
Bay County, Michigan Fair Market Rent	$522	$611	$786	$1,031	$1,118
Bay County, Michigan Payment Standard Range	$470 to $574	$550 to $672	$707 to $865	$928 to $1,134	$1,006 to $1,230

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Bay County, MI Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	21
Total Low Income Apartments	1,863
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	1,338
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	22.26%
Average Renter Household Size	2.06
Average Household Size	2.42
Median Household Income	$45,583 ±$1,434
Median Rent	$657 ±$20
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	48.5% ± 3.86pp
Total Population	106,698

Population and Household Demographics

Bay County is a county in Michigan with a population of 106,698. There are 43,565 households in the county with an average household size of 2.42 persons. 22.26% of households in Bay County are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Bay County

The median gross income for households in Bay County is $45,583 a year, or $3,799 a month. The median rent for the county is $657 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Bay County, a household making less than $2,190 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 48.5% of households who rent are overburdened in Bay County.

Area Median Income In Bay 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 Bay County, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $63,500

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 Bay County

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 Bay County

	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 Bay County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$13,550	$17,420	$21,960	$26,500	$31,040	$35,580	$40,000	$42,600
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Bay County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$22,600	$25,800	$29,050	$32,250	$34,850	$37,450	$40,000	$42,600
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Bay County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$36,150	$41,300	$46,450	$51,600	$55,750	$59,900	$64,000	$68,150

Cities In Bay County

Select A City to View its Apartment Communities and Waiting Lists.

City	Served By
Auburn	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Auburn is the Bay County Housing Department.
Bangor Township	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Bangor Township is the Bay County Housing Department.
Bay City	The HUD funded Public Housing Agencies that serve Bay City are the Bay City Housing Commission and Bay County Housing Department.
Beaver	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Beaver is the Bay County Housing Department.
Essexville	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Essexville is the Bay County Housing Department.
Frankenlust	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Frankenlust is the Bay County Housing Department.
Fraser	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Fraser is the Bay County Housing Department.
Garfield	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Garfield is the Bay County Housing Department.
Gibson	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Gibson is the Bay County Housing Department.
Hampton Township	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Hampton Township is the Bay County Housing Department.
Kawkawlin	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Kawkawlin is the Bay County Housing Department.
Merritt	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Merritt is the Bay County Housing Department.
Midland	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Midland is the Bay County Housing Department.
Monitor Township	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Monitor Township is the Bay County Housing Department.
Mount Forest	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Mount Forest is the Bay County Housing Department.
Pinconning	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Pinconning is the Bay County Housing Department.
Pinconningship	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Pinconningship is the Bay County Housing Department.
Portsmouth Township	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Portsmouth Township is the Bay County Housing Department.
Williams Township	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Williams Township is the Bay County Housing Department.

Affordable Housing In Bay County Michigan

21 Low Income Apartment Communities In Bay County

Section 8 Vouchers, Apartments, and Waiting Lists in Bay County, Michigan