Affordable Housing In Sierra County
New Mexico

6 Low Income Apartment Communities In Sierra County

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

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 Sierra County, New Mexico

Housing Authority	Programs
Truth or Consequences Housing Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing
Western Regional Housing Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing

Guide To Affordable Housing in Sierra County, New Mexico

There are 6 low income housing apartment communities offering 310 affordable apartments for rent in Sierra County, New Mexico.

Income Based Apartments in Sierra County, New Mexico

Sierra County features 248 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 Sierra County, New Mexico

There are 62 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Sierra County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Sierra County, New Mexico

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

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

2022 Sierra 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
Sierra County, New Mexico Fair Market Rent	$482	$552	$726	$981	$985
Sierra County, New Mexico Payment Standard Range	$434 to $530	$497 to $607	$653 to $799	$883 to $1,079	$887 to $1,084

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Sierra County, NM Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	6
Total Low Income Apartments	310
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	248
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	27.76%
Average Renter Household Size	2.46
Average Household Size	2.25
Median Household Income	$29,356 ±$2,872
Median Rent	$575 ±$43
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	42.93% ± 8.68pp
Total Population	11,615

Population and Household Demographics

Sierra County is a county in New Mexico with a population of 11,615. There are 5,044 households in the county with an average household size of 2.25 persons. 27.76% of households in Sierra County are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Sierra County

The median gross income for households in Sierra County is $29,356 a year, or $2,446 a month. The median rent for the county is $575 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Sierra County, a household making less than $1,917 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 42.93% of households who rent are overburdened in Sierra County.

Area Median Income In Sierra 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 Sierra County, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $47,000

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 Sierra 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 Sierra 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 Sierra 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 Sierra 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 Sierra 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