Affordable Housing In Grand Rapids
Kent County,
Michigan
81 Low Income Apartment Communities In Grand Rapids
Allen Manor Senior Housing
Cambridge Square of Grand Rapids
Grandview Apartments
Heron Manor Assisted Living Apartments
Section 8 Vouchers, Apartments, and Waiting Lists in Grand Rapids, Michigan
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 Grand Rapids, Michigan
| Housing Authority | Programs |
|---|---|
| Kent County Community Action | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) |
| Grand Rapids Housing Commission | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing; Homeownership Voucher; Family Self-Sufficiency; Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH); Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV); Mainstream Voucher; Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) |
| 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) |
| Wyoming Housing Commission | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing |
Guide To Affordable Housing in Grand Rapids, Michigan
There are 81 low income housing apartment communities offering 5,187 affordable apartments for rent in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Income Based Apartments in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids features 2,383 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 Grand Rapids, Michigan
There are 2,804 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Grand Rapids.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Grand Rapids, Michigan
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Grand Rapids landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Grand Rapids.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a two-bedroom apartment is between $937 and $1,145.
2022 Grand Rapids, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids, Michigan Fair Market Rent | $798 | $859 | $1,041 | $1,356 | $1,538 |
| Grand Rapids, Michigan Payment Standard Range | $718 to $878 | $773 to $945 | $937 to $1,145 | $1,220 to $1,492 | $1,384 to $1,692 |
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
Grand Rapids, MI Affordable Housing Snapshot
| Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 81 |
|---|---|
| Total Low Income Apartments | 5,187 |
| Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 2,383 |
| Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 45.72% |
| Average Renter Household Size | 2.49 |
| Average Household Size | 2.54 |
| Median Household Income | $40,355 ±$774 |
| Median Rent | $783 ±$12 |
| Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 54.36% ± 2.06pp |
| Total Population | 192,416 |
Population and Household Demographics
Grand Rapids is a city in Kent County, Michigan with a population of 192,416. There are 73,026 households in the city with an average household size of 2.54 persons. 45.72% of households in Grand Rapids are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in Grand Rapids
The median gross income for households in Grand Rapids is $40,355 a year, or $3,363 a month. The median rent for the city is $783 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Grand Rapids, a household making less than $2,610 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 54.36% of households who rent are overburdened in Grand Rapids.
Area Median Income In Grand Rapids
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.
HUD often uses an area larger than a city to determine the AMI because HUD anticipates those searching for housing will look beyond individual cities during their housing search. For Grand Rapids, the AMI is calculated from all households within Kent County.
In Grand Rapids, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $80,000
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 Grand Rapids
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 Grand Rapids
| 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 Grand Rapids AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households. |
$16,800 | $19,200 | $21,960 | $26,500 | $31,040 | $35,580 | $40,120 | $44,660 |
| 50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Grand Rapids AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households. |
$28,000 | $32,000 | $36,000 | $40,000 | $43,200 | $46,400 | $49,600 | $52,800 |
| 80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Grand Rapids AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households. |
$44,800 | $51,200 | $57,600 | $64,000 | $69,150 | $74,250 | $79,400 | $84,500 |
