Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Bellingham, WA

Discover affordable housing in Bellingham where there are 52+ 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.

Woodrose Apartments

3353 Racine St, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Sterling Meadows Apartments

500 Sterling Dr, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Sterling Senior Housing

528 Sterling Dr, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Walton Phase I

1511 N State St, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Walton Place Two

1505 N State St, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Varsity Village

2400 McKenzie Ave, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Larkin Place

355 Meadowbrook Ct, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Catherine May Apartments

202 N 34th St, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Birchwood Manor

1308 Birchwood Ave, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Eleanor Apartments

1510 N Forest St, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Meadow Wood Townhomes

939 Mahogany Ave, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Meadow Wood Townhomes II

931 Mahogany Ave, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Laurel Village

202 E Laurel St, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Orleans Place

3220 Orleans St, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Cornwall

1100 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Mount Baker Apartments

308 W Champion St, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Heather Commons

4163 Deemer Rd, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Evergreen Ridge Apartments

3451 Woburn St, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Lummi Homes I

2828 Kwina Rd, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Regency Park

2050 Fraser St, Bellingham, Washington 98229

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Bellingham, Washington
$29.75/hour
$13.47 (+83%) more than Washington minimum wage and $22.50 (+310%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Bellingham, Washington Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Bellingham, Washington?

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), Public Housing programs for Bellingham, Washington.
Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing, Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV) programs for Bellingham, Washington.

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

How many renters live in Bellingham, Washington?

The City of Bellingham has 93,899 people living in 41,746 households.

There are 46,236 renters living in 23,131 renter households in this City. Renters make up 49.24 percent of the population living in Bellingham.

What is the rental market like in Bellingham, Washington?

There are an estimated 42,358 housing units in the Bellingham area. Of these, 22,980 units are rental homes, making up 54 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Bellingham, Washington, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Bellingham?

The rental vacancy rate in Bellingham is 3 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 Bellingham for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Bellingham
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
3,018 5,111 8,859 3,539 967
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Bellingham

A large number of apartments in Bellingham 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 Bellingham are overburdened by housing costs?

Among renter households in this market, 61 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 32 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 Bellingham

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,254 to $2,666. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $1,254
One BR $1,306
Two BR $1,571
Three BR $2,214
Four BR $2,666
2024 Fair Market Rents in Bellingham, Washington

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

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
Studio 1,870 62 percent
One BR 2,878 56 percent
Two BR 5,427 61 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Bellingham, Washington

How many affordable rental units are in Bellingham?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 2,113
Public Housing 504
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 144
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 20
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Bellingham, Washington

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

Income Based Apartments in Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham features 705 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 Bellingham, Washington

There are 1,778 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Bellingham.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Bellingham, Washington

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Bellingham landlords $700 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Bellingham.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Bellingham, Washington for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,414 and $1,728.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.