Affordable Housing In Houston
Harris County,
Texas
280 Low Income Apartment Communities In Houston
Housing Authorities that serve Houston
| Housing Authority | Programs |
|---|---|
| Houston Housing Authority | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing |
| Harris County-Other Dhap Only | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) |
| Harris County Housing Authority | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) |
Guide To Affordable Housing in Houston, Texas
There are 280 low income housing apartment communities offering 46,619 affordable apartments for rent in Houston, Texas.
Income Based Apartments in Houston, Texas
Houston features 12,802 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 Houston, Texas
There are 32,598 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Houston.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Houston, Texas
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Houston landlords $800 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Houston.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Houston, Texas for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,041 and $1,273.
2021 Houston, Texas 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston, Texas Fair Market Rent | $893 | $968 | $1,157 | $1,551 | $1,977 |
| Houston, Texas Payment Standard Range | $804 to $982 | $871 to $1,065 | $1,041 to $1,273 | $1,396 to $1,706 | $1,779 to $2,175 |
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
Houston, TX Affordable Housing Snapshot
| Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 280 |
|---|---|
| Total Low Income Apartments | 46,619 |
| Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 12,802 |
| Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 56.31% |
| Average Renter Household Size | 2.53 |
| Average Household Size | 2.68 |
| Median Household Income | $46,187 ±$415 |
| Median Rent | $873 ±$5 |
| Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 47.25% ± 0.7pp |
| Total Population | 2,217,706 |
Population and Household Demographics
Houston is a city in Harris County, Texas with a population of 2,217,706. There are 814,599 households in the city with an average household size of 2.68 persons. 56.31% of households in Houston are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in Houston
The median gross income for households in Houston is $46,187 a year, or $3,849 a month. The median rent for the city is $873 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Houston, a household making less than $2,910 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 47.25% of households who rent are overburdened in Houston.
Area Median Income In Houston
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 Houston, the AMI is calculated from all households within Harris County.
In Houston, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $78,800
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 Houston
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 Houston
| 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 Houston AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households. |
$16,600 | $18,950 | $21,720 | $26,200 | $30,680 | $35,160 | $39,640 | $44,120 |
| 50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Houston AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households. |
$27,600 | $31,550 | $35,500 | $39,400 | $42,600 | $45,750 | $48,900 | $52,050 |
| 80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Houston AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households. |
$44,150 | $50,450 | $56,750 | $63,050 | $68,100 | $73,150 | $78,200 | $83,250 |
