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

Discover affordable housing in Kelso where there are 6+ 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.

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Kelso, Washington
$25.40/hour
$9.12 (+56%) more than Washington minimum wage and $18.15 (+250%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Kelso, Washington Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Kelso, 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, Family Self-Sufficiency programs for Kelso, Washington.

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

How many renters live in Kelso, Washington?

The City of Kelso has 12,661 people living in 5,280 households.

There are 5,229 renters living in 2,270 renter households in this City. Renters make up 41.3 percent of the population living in Kelso.

What is the rental market like in Kelso, Washington?

There are an estimated 5,501 housing units in the Kelso area. Of these, 2,300 units are rental homes, making up 42 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Kelso, Washington, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Kelso?

The rental vacancy rate in Kelso is 1 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 Kelso for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Kelso
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
105 490 1,060 517 73
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Kelso

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

Among renter households in this market, 56 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 24 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 Kelso

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $909 to $2,276. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $909
One BR $1,109
Two BR $1,341
Three BR $1,890
Four BR $2,276
2024 Fair Market Rents in Kelso, Washington

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

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 59 56 percent
One BR 370 76 percent
Two BR 859 81 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Kelso, Washington

How many affordable rental units are in Kelso?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 40
Public Housing 71
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 3
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Kelso, Washington

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

Income Based Apartments in Kelso, Washington

Kelso features 166 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 Kelso, Washington

There are 145 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Kelso.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Kelso, Washington

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Kelso landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Kelso.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Kelso, Washington for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,207 and $1,475.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.