Low-income senior housing: how to find and apply (55+ and 62+)

Low-income senior housing is rental housing for people 55 or 62 and older who earn under an income limit. It includes Section 202 buildings, a federal program for older adults run by HUD, the federal housing department, plus public housing and income-restricted apartments. You apply to each building or local housing office. As of October 5, 2026, we list 219 open senior listings.

What do 55+ and 62+ mean?

The number is the minimum age, and it changes who can live there.

62+. HUD's Section 202 rule defines an "elderly person" as a household with at least one person aged 62 or older. Public housing and vouchers use "elderly family" for a household whose head, spouse or only member is 62 or older.

55+. Many communities use the fair-housing exemption (a federal law exception that lets a community limit residents by age) for people 55 and older. Under it, at least 80% of occupied homes must have at least one resident aged 55 or older.

In our open listings, 106 are marked 62+, 88 are marked 55+, and 25 say "seniors only" without giving an age. Always read the age line on the listing.

Can a younger partner move in?

The answer depends on the building.

• In Section 202, one household member aged 62 or older is enough.
• A building run under the fair-housing exemption for "62 or older" must have all residents 62 or older. HUD's own example says a couple aged 62 and 59 would have to be refused by a building that wants to keep that exemption.
• A 55+ building under the fair-housing exemption needs at least 80% of its occupied homes to have someone 55 or older, among other conditions, so it may accept a younger partner. It doesn't have to.
• Some buildings spell out their own rule. Leyland Community in Boston (62+) and Medford Gardens in New York (55+) both say at least one person in the household must meet the age.

A "62+" label alone doesn't tell you which rule applies. Ask the building, in writing, before you spend time on an application.

What types of senior affordable housing are there?

• Section 202 buildings. HUD describes these as subsidized rental housing for low-income people 62 or older. The owner decides who is eligible and keeps a written waitlist. Applicants must be a "very low-income" household, which HUD's public housing page sets at 50% of the area median income (the middle income in your area). They must also provide Social Security numbers and sign consent forms to check wage records.
• Public housing. HUD says it was set up for low-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities, and some buildings are high-rises for elderly families. You apply to your local housing office.
• Section 8 vouchers. Not age-specific, but a local housing office may give a preference to a single person who is 62 or older. Our guide to Section 8 waitlists covers how lists open.
• Income-restricted apartments. Buildings with a rent cap and an income limit, many of them age-restricted. See income-restricted apartments for how the limits work.
• Homes for sale. Eighteen of our open senior listings are for sale.

What are the income limits?

HUD sets public housing limits at 80% of the area median income, or 50% for "very low" income. Section 202 uses the very low group. Other buildings set their own steps, such as 30%, 50% or 60%, and the dollars depend on household size and place. Our guide to area median income explains the math.

For HUD programs, your rent is based on adjusted income, which is income minus deductions. The rule lists a set amount for an elderly family (the rule says $525, adjusted yearly), and medical costs an elderly family pays out of pocket above 10% of income. Report medical bills when you apply, because they can lower the rent in Section 8 and public housing.

A worked example

A couple, one aged 63 and one aged 58, with two real open buildings. Both ask for at least one person at the age, so the couple passes the age test at each.

Now try three incomes for the couple, looking only at the limits.

• $60,000 a year: fits Leyland's fixed-rent unit. At Medford it fits the $1,460 apartments, since $60,000 is above the $58,400 floor.
• $45,000 a year: fits Leyland. At Medford it fits only the single $975 apartment, because it is below the $58,400 floor for the others.
• $30,000 a year: fits Leyland's income-based units, where rent would be about 30% of income, or roughly $750 a month. It is below Medford's $39,000 floor, so Medford is out.

Same household, three answers, because each building sets its own floor and ceiling by apartment type.

Where are the open senior listings today?

As of October 5, 2026, 219 of our 1,395 open listings are reserved for seniors. That is 201 rentals and 18 homes for sale. By state:

Most of California's are in the Los Angeles area (96). In Massachusetts, 19 are in Greater Boston. New York is mostly outside the city: 20 are in Upstate New York, and New York City has one right now.

By how you apply, 150 are first come, first served (including buildings with an open list), 59 are waitlists, 8 are lotteries and 2 are housing-authority waitlists. Of the 201 rentals, 137 show their income limits in dollars. Use the "Who it's for" filter on our listings page and choose "Seniors only." Dates change, so confirm with the building.

Is there low-income senior housing with no waiting list?

Waitlists are common. Federal rules say the owner of a Section 202 building must keep a written waitlist in order of application date (24 CFR 891.410), and HUD says you apply to the building, not to HUD. Most senior buildings in our data run their own lists. A few buildings take applications first come, first served, with no drawing. As of October 5, 2026, 150 of our 219 open senior listings are first come, first served, including buildings with an open list. That wording does not promise an empty apartment today, so call the building and ask whether a unit is available now or whether you would join a list.

How do you apply?

1. Check the age rule. Find out whether one person or every person in your household must meet a building's age.
2. Check the limit for your household size. Our free qualify check compares your numbers with the open listings we track. What you type stays in your browser.
3. Collect documents. Proof of age, income letters (Social Security, pension, bank), and Social Security numbers are typical. Section 202 requires the numbers, and each building lists the rest.
4. Apply to each building. Most senior buildings run their own waitlist. Apply to several, because you can be on many lists at once.
5. Keep your contact details current. HUD says a voucher applicant who doesn't report a new address or phone number may be removed from the list. Buildings can have similar rules, so ask.

Even a short list can be slow. Ask each building how long its list is, how it contacts you and whether it is open.