Center for Great Expectations - Supportive Housing
Franklin Township Consumer Home
The Lena and David T. Wilentz Senior Residence
There are 258 low-income apartments in Somerset that offer reduced rents to eligible households.
Rental assistance programs support 421 low-income homes in Somerset where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2023, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $616 towards rent each month.
Public Housing Agencies Serving Somerset, New Jersey
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 |
|---|---|
| Housing Authority of the Township of Franklin | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing |
| State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) |
Somerset, New Jersey Affordable Housing Data
Income Based Apartments in Somerset, New Jersey
Somerset features 421 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 Somerset, New Jersey
There are 258 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Somerset.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Somerset, New Jersey
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Somerset landlords $1,100 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $600 towards rent in Somerset.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Somerset, New Jersey for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,725 and $2,109.
2023 Somerset, New Jersey 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset, New Jersey Fair Market Rent | $1,336 | $1,515 | $1,917 | $2,333 | $2,575 |
| Somerset, New Jersey Payment Standard Range | $1,202 to $1,470 | $1,364 to $1,667 | $1,725 to $2,109 | $2,100 to $2,566 | $2,318 to $2,833 |
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
Somerset, NJ Affordable Housing Snapshot
| Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 14 |
|---|---|
| Total Low Income Apartments | 679 |
| Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 421 |
| Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 25.94% |
| Average Renter Household Size | 2.37 |
| Average Household Size | 2.73 |
| Median Household Income | $89,722 ±$4,427 |
| Median Rent | $1,397 ±$82 |
| Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 25.95% ± 7.61pp |
| Total Population | 24,409 |
Population and Household Demographics
Somerset is a city in Somerset County, New Jersey with a population of 24,409. There are 8,690 households in the city with an average household size of 2.73 persons. 25.94% of households in Somerset are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in Somerset
The median gross income for households in Somerset is $89,722 a year, or $7,477 a month. The median rent for the city is $1,397 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Somerset, a household making less than $4,657 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 25.95% of households who rent are overburdened in Somerset.
Area Median Income In Somerset
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 Somerset, the AMI is calculated from all households within Somerset County.
In Somerset, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $142,900
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 Somerset
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 Somerset
| 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 Somerset AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households. |
$30,000 | $34,300 | $38,600 | $42,850 | $46,300 | $49,750 | $53,150 | $56,600 |
| 50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Somerset AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households. |
$50,050 | $57,200 | $64,350 | $71,450 | $77,200 | $82,900 | $88,600 | $94,350 |
| 80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Somerset AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households. |
$66,750 | $76,250 | $85,800 | $95,300 | $102,950 | $110,550 | $118,200 | $125,800 |
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