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 Fairfax, Virginia

Housing Authority	Programs
Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing; Family Self-Sufficiency; Moving to Work; Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD); Homeownership

Guide To Affordable Housing in Fairfax, Virginia

There are 9 low income housing apartment communities offering 670 affordable apartments for rent in Fairfax, Virginia.

Income Based Apartments in Fairfax, Virginia

Fairfax features 417 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 Fairfax, Virginia

There are 240 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Fairfax.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Fairfax, Virginia

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Fairfax landlords $700 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Fairfax.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Fairfax, Virginia for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,607 and $1,964.

2022 Fairfax, Virginia 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
Fairfax, Virginia Fair Market Rent	$1,539	$1,567	$1,785	$2,260	$2,713
Fairfax, Virginia Payment Standard Range	$1,385 to $1,693	$1,410 to $1,724	$1,607 to $1,964	$2,034 to $2,486	$2,442 to $2,984

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Fairfax, VA Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	9
Total Low Income Apartments	670
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	417
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	30.02%
Average Renter Household Size	2.75
Average Household Size	2.70
Median Household Income	$105,297 ±$7,530
Median Rent	$1,692 ±$81
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	50% ± 7.27pp
Total Population	23,402

Population and Household Demographics

Fairfax is a city in Virginia with a population of 23,402. There are 8,467 households in the city with an average household size of 2.70 persons. 30.02% of households in Fairfax are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Fairfax

The median gross income for households in Fairfax is $105,297 a year, or $8,775 a month. The median rent for the city is $1,692 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Fairfax, a household making less than $5,640 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 50% of households who rent are overburdened in Fairfax.

Area Median Income In Fairfax

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 Fairfax, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $129,000

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 Fairfax

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 Fairfax

	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 Fairfax AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$27,100	$31,000	$34,850	$38,700	$41,800	$44,900	$48,000	$51,100
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Fairfax AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$45,150	$51,600	$58,050	$64,500	$69,700	$74,850	$80,000	$85,150
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Fairfax AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$57,650	$65,850	$74,100	$82,300	$88,900	$95,500	$102,100	$108,650

Affordable Housing In Fairfax Virginia

9 Low Income Apartment Communities In Fairfax

Section 8 Vouchers, Apartments, and Waiting Lists in Fairfax, Virginia