Income decides which affordable homes you can apply for. Start with what area median income means, then read the guide for your program or city.
Workforce housing is below-market housing for working households that earn too much for traditional subsidies but too little for market prices, often about 80 percent to 120 percent of area median income, the middle income where you live. No federal rule defines it, so each program sets its own income band, and some add a work rule.
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In Detroit, the Detroit Housing Commission runs public housing and Section 8 vouchers. As of October 5, 2026, its public housing and voucher waitlists were closed, but it listed waitlists as open for rent help tied to one building, at 42 properties. The federal housing department's 2026 very low income limit is $36,700 for one person.
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In Baltimore, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City runs public housing and vouchers. As of October 7, 2026, both of its waitlists and Baltimore County's voucher list were closed. A regional voucher list took applications in May 2026. Income-restricted buildings keep their own lists. For one person, the federal housing department's 2026 very low income limit here is $46,900.
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Low-income senior housing is rental housing for people 55 or 62 and older under an income limit, such as Section 202 buildings (a federal program for older adults run by HUD, the federal housing department), public housing and income-restricted apartments. You apply to each building or local housing office. As of October 8, 2026, we list 257 open senior listings.
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A fair market rent is HUD's yearly estimate of what a modest rental costs in an area, by bedroom count, utilities included. Housing authorities set Section 8 payment standards at 90 to 110 percent of it. It does not limit what landlords charge, and it is not the rent you pay.
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Single mothers apply for the same housing help as any low-income family: Section 8 vouchers, public housing, and income-restricted apartments. Income limits rise with household size, so a mother with two children has a limit about 29 percent higher than a single adult. Child support you receive counts as income, and child care costs can lower your rent.
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In Charlotte, Inlivian, the city's housing office, takes applications for income-based apartments community by community. It says applicants need six months of full-time work, and it has a work requirement for adults who are not elderly or disabled. The federal housing department's 2026 very low income limit is $41,100 for one person.
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In Atlanta, subsidized housing from Atlanta Housing and other local housing offices sets your rent at about 30 percent of your income. Most tax-credit apartments charge a fixed rent that tax law limits instead. You apply at each building or waitlist. In 2026, the federal limit for very low income, which is 50 percent of the area median, is $41,250 for one person.
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AMI means area median income: the middle income of families in an area, estimated each year by HUD, the federal housing department. Affordable housing sets income limits as a share of it, such as 60 percent or 80 percent, adjusted for household size. In New York City, the 60 percent limit for four people is $101,760.
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Income based apartments use your income in one of two ways. Some set an income limit, so your household must earn under a set amount to move in. Others set your rent as a share of your income, usually about 30 percent. Some buildings do both. Ask the building which one applies.
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To qualify for affordable housing, your household's total gross income, before taxes, must be under a limit that depends on how many people will live in the home. Some programs also set a minimum income, limit your savings and add a student rule. Details change by program and city, so check the one you're applying to.
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