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 Berrien County, Michigan

Housing Authority	Programs
Michigan State Housing Development Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Homeownership Voucher; Family Self-Sufficiency; Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH); Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV)

Guide To Affordable Housing in Berrien County, Michigan

There are 40 low income housing apartment communities offering 3,466 affordable apartments for rent in Berrien County, Michigan.

Income Based Apartments in Berrien County, Michigan

Berrien County features 2,371 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 Berrien County, Michigan

There are 1,037 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Berrien County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Berrien County, Michigan

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

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Berrien County, Michigan for a two-bedroom apartment is between $761 and $930.

2022 Berrien 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
Berrien County, Michigan Fair Market Rent	$646	$655	$845	$1,094	$1,252
Berrien County, Michigan Payment Standard Range	$581 to $711	$590 to $721	$761 to $930	$985 to $1,203	$1,127 to $1,377

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Berrien County, MI Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	40
Total Low Income Apartments	3,466
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	2,371
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	29.1%
Average Renter Household Size	2.34
Average Household Size	2.46
Median Household Income	$44,993 ±$1,009
Median Rent	$674 ±$13
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	47.48% ± 2.62pp
Total Population	155,565

Population and Household Demographics

Berrien County is a county in Michigan with a population of 155,565. There are 61,167 households in the county with an average household size of 2.46 persons. 29.1% of households in Berrien County are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Berrien County

The median gross income for households in Berrien County is $44,993 a year, or $3,749 a month. The median rent for the county is $674 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Berrien County, a household making less than $2,247 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 47.48% of households who rent are overburdened in Berrien County.

Area Median Income In Berrien 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 Berrien County, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $68,900

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 Berrien 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 Berrien 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 Berrien County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$14,100	$17,420	$21,960	$26,500	$31,040	$35,580	$40,120	$44,250
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Berrien County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$23,450	$26,800	$30,150	$33,500	$36,200	$38,900	$41,550	$44,250
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Berrien County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$37,550	$42,900	$48,250	$53,600	$57,900	$62,200	$66,500	$70,800

Cities In Berrien County

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

City	Served By
Bainbridge	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Bainbridge is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Baroda	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Baroda is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Barodaship	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Barodaship is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Benton Harbor	The HUD funded Public Housing Agencies that serve Benton Harbor are the Benton Harbor Housing Commission, Benton Township Housing Commission and Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Benton Heights	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Benton Heights is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Benton Township	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Benton Township is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Berrien	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Berrien is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Berrien Springs	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Berrien Springs is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Bertrand	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Bertrand is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Bridgman	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Bridgman is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Buchanan	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Buchanan is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Buchananship	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Buchananship is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Chikaming	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Chikaming is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Coloma	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Coloma is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Coloma Township	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Coloma Township is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Eau Claire	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Eau Claire is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Fair Plain	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Fair Plain is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Galien	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Galien is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Galienship	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Galienship is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Grand Beach	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Grand Beach is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Hagar	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Hagar is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Lake Michigan Beach	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Lake Michigan Beach is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Lake Township	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Lake Township is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Lincoln Township	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Lincoln Township is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Michiana	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Michiana is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
New Buffalo	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves New Buffalo is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
New Buffaloship	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves New Buffaloship is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
New Troy	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves New Troy is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Niles	The HUD funded Public Housing Agencies that serve Niles are the Niles Housing Commission and Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Nilesship	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Nilesship is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Oronoko Township	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Oronoko Township is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Paw Paw Lake	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Paw Paw Lake is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Pipestone	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Pipestone is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Royalton	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Royalton is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Saint Joseph	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Saint Joseph is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Shoreham	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Shoreham is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Shorewood Tower Hills Harbert	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Shorewood Tower Hills Harbert is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Sodus	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Sodus is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
St Joseph	The HUD funded Public Housing Agencies that serve St Joseph are the Saint Joseph Housing Commission and Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
St. Joseph	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves St. Joseph is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
St. Joseph Township	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves St. Joseph Township is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Stevensville	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Stevensville is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Three Oaks	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Three Oaks is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Three Oaksship	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Three Oaksship is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Watervliet	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Watervliet is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Watervlietship	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Watervlietship is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Weesaw	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Weesaw is the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

Affordable Housing In Berrien County Michigan

40 Low Income Apartment Communities In Berrien County

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