Affordable Housing In Sierra County
New Mexico

5 Low Income Apartment Communities In Sierra County

Housing Authorities that serve Sierra County

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 5 low income housing apartment communities offering 278 affordable apartments for rent in Sierra County, New Mexico.

Income Based Apartments in Sierra County, New Mexico

Sierra County features 216 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 $677 and $827.

2021 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
Fair Market Rent	$496	$571	$752	$1,016	$1,023
Payment Standard Range	$446 to $546	$514 to $628	$677 to $827	$914 to $1,118	$921 to $1,125

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Sierra County, NM Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	5
Total Low Income Apartments	278
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	216
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 $43,400

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

Income	1 Person	2 Person	3 Person	4 Person	5 Person	6 Person	7 Person	8 Person
30% of Median	$12,760	$17,240	$21,720	$26,200	$29,650	$31,850	$34,050	$36,250
50% of Median	$19,250	$22,000	$24,750	$27,450	$29,650	$31,850	$34,050	$36,250
80% of Median	$30,750	$35,150	$39,550	$43,900	$47,450	$50,950	$54,450	$57,950