Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Amherst, VA

Discover affordable housing in Amherst where there are 2+ housing opportunities based on income and household needs like accessible units for seniors or persons with disabilities. Find and apply to these low income apartments now.

Amherst Village

119 Newington Drive, Amherst, Virginia 24521

Rutledge Hills Apartments

122 Dulwich Dr , Amherst, Virginia 24521

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Amherst, Virginia
$20.70/hour
$8.70 (+73%) more than Virginia minimum wage and $13.45 (+186%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Amherst, Virginia Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Amherst, Virginia?

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.

Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs for Amherst, Virginia.
Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs for Amherst, Virginia.

Go to the Virginia Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Amherst.

How many renters live in Amherst, Virginia?

The City of Amherst has 2,299 people living in 1,013 households.

There are 677 renters living in 336 renter households in this City. Renters make up 29.45 percent of the population living in Amherst.

What is the rental market like in Amherst, Virginia?

There are an estimated 1,123 housing units in the Amherst area. Of these, 336 units are rental homes, making up 30 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Amherst, Virginia, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Amherst?

The rental vacancy rate in Amherst is 0 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.

How many rental units are in Amherst for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Amherst
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
0 156 80 66 34
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Amherst

A large number of apartments in Amherst have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.

How many renter households in Amherst are overburdened by housing costs?

Among renter households in this market, 37 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 17 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.

The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.

How Much Is Rent in Amherst

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $948 to $1,627. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $948
One BR $966
Two BR $1,093
Three BR $1,494
Four BR $1,627
2024 Fair Market Rents in Amherst, Virginia

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Amherst?

Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.

These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:

Unit Size Count of Units Below FMR Percentage of Total Units Below FMR
One BR 151 97 percent
Two BR 42 53 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Amherst, Virginia

How many affordable rental units are in Amherst?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Amherst, Virginia including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 116
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 48
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Amherst, Virginia

Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.

Income Based Apartments in Amherst, Virginia

Amherst features 96 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 Amherst, Virginia

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

Housing Choice Vouchers in Amherst, Virginia

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

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Amherst, Virginia for a two-bedroom apartment is between $984 and $1,202.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.