Affordable Housing In Polk County
Tennessee

4 Low Income Apartment Communities In Polk County

Section 8 Vouchers, Apartments, and Waiting Lists in Polk County, Tennessee

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 Polk County, Tennessee

Housing Authority	Programs
Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Family Self-Sufficiency

Guide To Affordable Housing in Polk County, Tennessee

There are 4 low income housing apartment communities offering 120 affordable apartments for rent in Polk County, Tennessee.

Income Based Apartments in Polk County, Tennessee

Polk County features 120 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 Polk County, Tennessee

There are 0 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Polk County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Polk County, Tennessee

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Polk County landlords $0 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $0 towards rent in Polk County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Polk County, Tennessee for a two-bedroom apartment is between $747 and $913.

2022 Polk County, Tennessee 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
Polk County, Tennessee Fair Market Rent	$570	$631	$830	$1,079	$1,224
Polk County, Tennessee Payment Standard Range	$513 to $627	$568 to $694	$747 to $913	$971 to $1,187	$1,102 to $1,346

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Polk County, TN Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	4
Total Low Income Apartments	120
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	120
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	21.88%
Average Renter Household Size	2.45
Average Household Size	2.44
Median Household Income	$38,925 ±$2,469
Median Rent	$642 ±$30
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	37.4% ± 6.69pp
Total Population	16,687

Population and Household Demographics

Polk County is a county in Tennessee with a population of 16,687. There are 6,745 households in the county with an average household size of 2.44 persons. 21.88% of households in Polk County are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Polk County

The median gross income for households in Polk County is $38,925 a year, or $3,244 a month. The median rent for the county is $642 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Polk County, a household making less than $2,140 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 37.4% of households who rent are overburdened in Polk County.

Area Median Income In Polk 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 Polk County, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $57,800

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 Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$12,880	$17,420	$21,960	$26,500	$31,040	$33,900	$36,250	$38,550
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Polk County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$20,450	$23,400	$26,300	$29,200	$31,550	$33,900	$36,250	$38,550
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Polk County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$32,700	$37,400	$42,050	$46,700	$50,450	$54,200	$57,950	$61,650