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 Otero County, New Mexico

Housing Authority	Programs
Eastern Regional Housing Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing

Guide To Affordable Housing in Otero County, New Mexico

There are 9 low income housing apartment communities offering 517 affordable apartments for rent in Otero County, New Mexico.

Income Based Apartments in Otero County, New Mexico

Otero County features 317 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 Otero County, New Mexico

There are 200 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Otero County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Otero County, New Mexico

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

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Otero County, New Mexico for a two-bedroom apartment is between $653 and $799.

2022 Otero County, New Mexico 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
Otero County, New Mexico Fair Market Rent	$545	$637	$726	$1,031	$1,243
Otero County, New Mexico Payment Standard Range	$491 to $600	$573 to $701	$653 to $799	$928 to $1,134	$1,119 to $1,367

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Otero County, NM Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	9
Total Low Income Apartments	517
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	317
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	35.7%
Average Renter Household Size	2.72
Average Household Size	2.63
Median Household Income	$39,775 ±$1,700
Median Rent	$791 ±$37
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	40.91% ± 4.52pp
Total Population	65,318

Population and Household Demographics

Otero County is a county in New Mexico with a population of 65,318. There are 23,668 households in the county with an average household size of 2.63 persons. 35.7% of households in Otero County are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Otero County

The median gross income for households in Otero County is $39,775 a year, or $3,315 a month. The median rent for the county is $791 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Otero County, a household making less than $2,637 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 40.91% of households who rent are overburdened in Otero County.

Area Median Income In Otero 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 Otero County, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $52,000

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 Otero 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 Otero 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 Otero County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$13,590	$18,310	$23,030	$27,750	$32,470	$35,400	$37,850	$40,300
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Otero County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$21,350	$24,400	$27,450	$30,500	$32,950	$35,400	$37,850	$40,300
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Otero County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$34,200	$39,050	$43,950	$48,800	$52,750	$56,650	$60,550	$64,450

Cities In Otero County

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

City	Served By
Alamogordo	The HUD funded Public Housing Agencies that serve Alamogordo are the Housing Authority of the City of Alamogordo and Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Bent	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Bent is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Boles Acres	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Boles Acres is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Cloudcroft	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Cloudcroft is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
High Rolls	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves High Rolls is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Holloman AFB	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Holloman AFB is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
La Luz	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves La Luz is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Mayhill	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Mayhill is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Mescalero	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Mescalero is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Orogrande	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Orogrande is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Pinon	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Pinon is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Sacramento	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Sacramento is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Timberon	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Timberon is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Tularosa	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Tularosa is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Twin Forks	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Twin Forks is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.
Weed	The HUD funded Public Housing Agency that serves Weed is the Eastern Regional Housing Authority.

Affordable Housing In Otero County New Mexico

9 Low Income Apartment Communities In Otero County

Section 8 Vouchers, Apartments, and Waiting Lists in Otero County, New Mexico