Answers about income limits, lotteries, waitlists, Section 8 and how to apply. Every guide cites its sources and shows the day we last checked it.
27 guides tagged "Applying". Show all guides
In Baltimore, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City runs public housing and vouchers. As of October 5, 2026, both of its waiting lists and Baltimore County's voucher list were closed. A regional voucher list took applications in May 2026. Income-restricted buildings keep their own lists. The federal housing department's 2026 very low income limit is $46,900 for one person.
6 min read
A HUD home is a house the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development took over after a foreclosure on a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration. HUD sells it as is, by bid, through a registered broker on HUDHomestore.gov. Owner-occupants can bid before investors, and an owner-occupant using FHA financing may qualify for $100 down.
5 min read
The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) offers first-time buyer loans through approved lenders, with down payment help of up to $25,000 as either a grant of 3% of the loan or a 4% second mortgage. You need a 620 credit score, a homebuyer class and income under your county's limit. Boulder and land trusts add more.
6 min read
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs offers first-time buyer mortgages with down payment help of up to 5% of the loan, through approved lenders. You need a 620 credit score, a homebuyer class and income under your county's limit. Its help is a second mortgage, not a gift.
7 min read
Section 811 is a federal program that helps adults with disabilities live independently, with affordable rent and access to services. Today it works mostly through state housing agencies. You usually apply through your state's referral process, not to the federal government or the building. For the newer rental assistance, the household needs extremely low income.
7 min read
A Section 8 voucher can help pay a mortgage, but only through local housing offices (called housing authorities) that offer it. Most buyers must be first-time buyers with steady work, finish homebuyer counseling and buy a home that passes two inspections. Help lasts up to 15 years, or 10 with a shorter mortgage, unless the family is elderly or disabled.
8 min read
To apply for Section 8, you go to your local housing authority, because each one runs its own waitlist and form. Most take a short pre-application, online or on paper, while the list is open. Save your confirmation, answer every letter and never pay a fee. As of October 5, 2026, we track 221 open housing-authority waitlists.
7 min read
Public housing is owned by a local housing authority, and each authority keeps its own waitlist, often split by bedroom size or building. Lists open and close on the authority's schedule, and waits can run years. As of October 5, 2026, we track 158 open area-wide waitlists. Apply to every open list you qualify for.
6 min read
New York's main first-time buyer help comes from SONYMA, the State of New York Mortgage Agency, which offers fixed-rate loans and down payment loans through participating lenders. Income and price limits depend on the county. Cities, counties, a federal home loan bank and federal loans add more, and a few below-market homes sell by lottery.
8 min read
New Jersey has no single Section 8 list. The state's Department of Community Affairs runs a statewide voucher list, and many local housing authorities run their own, each with its own opening dates. Watch each office's announcement, apply online during its window, have your household's details ready, and never pay a fee.
6 min read
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), the state housing agency, offers the MI Home Loan, with a 640 credit score minimum, county income limits and a $566,355 price limit. Its MI 10K Down Payment Assistance loan gives up to $10,000, interest free, and needs a homebuyer class. Detroit adds a grant of up to $25,000.
6 min read
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 5, 2026, we list 219 open senior listings.
6 min read
Sacramento's public housing and Section 8 vouchers run through waitlists at sacwaitlist.com, managed by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA). Tax-credit and other income-restricted apartments take applications at each building. Rent in the subsidized programs is about 30% of your adjusted income. We track six open Sacramento lists as of October 5, 2026.
6 min read
To apply for affordable housing, find out how the listing picks people (lottery, waitlist or first come), check its income and household rules, gather your documents, and apply only on the official site or at the housing office. Expect a document check later, and never pay a stranger to handle your application.
7 min read
The Housing Choice Voucher program, also called Section 8, pays part of your rent to a private landlord. HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, funds it and a local public housing agency runs it. You usually pay about 30% of your adjusted income. You find the home, and it must pass an inspection.
7 min read
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% higher than a single adult. As of October 5, 2026, 661 of our 1,035 open rentals list two or more bedrooms.
7 min read
Section 8 vouchers in Hawaii come from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and from the City and County of Honolulu on Oahu, and from the Hawaii, Maui and Kauai county agencies. As of October 5, 2026, the Hawaii County and Kauai lists were open and the Oahu and Maui lists were closed.
6 min read
Florida Housing Finance Corporation, the state housing agency, offers first-time buyer mortgages and down payment help through approved lenders, with a 640 minimum credit score and county income and price limits. Most of the help is a second mortgage, not a gift. Counties add their own programs, and rules and open dates change.
6 min read
First-time buyer help comes in four layers: loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, Veterans Affairs and the Department of Agriculture; state housing agency mortgages with down payment help; city, county and nonprofit programs; and a tax credit. No federal grant is open to every buyer, and each layer has its own income limits.
8 min read
An FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loan is insured by a federal agency and allows lower credit scores and a 3.5% down payment. A conventional loan has no government program behind it and often costs less for buyers with good credit. FHA mortgage insurance usually lasts longer, and conventional mortgage insurance can be canceled. Compare quotes for both.
6 min read
An FHA loan is a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration, part of HUD, the federal housing department. With a credit score of 580 or higher you can put down 3.5%. With a score of 500 to 579 you need 10%. You also need steady income, an approved home and mortgage insurance.
6 min read
In Charlotte, Inlivian, the city's housing authority, 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.
6 min read
In Atlanta, subsidized housing from Atlanta Housing and other housing authorities sets your rent at about 30% of your income. Most tax-credit apartments charge a fixed rent under a cap instead. You apply at each building or waitlist. In 2026, the federal limit for "very low income" is $41,250 for one person.
6 min read
Affordable homes for sale are sold below market price by a city, a nonprofit or a developer to buyers under an income limit, often 80% to 120% of the area median income. Most are first come, first served or chosen by lottery. Expect a homebuyer class, a mortgage pre-approval, a down payment and a limit on your sale price later.
7 min read
A Section 8 waitlist is open only when your local housing authority decides to take applications, and some open for just a few days. As of October 5, 2026, we list 49 open housing-authority waitlists from 31 agencies. You apply to the authority for free, and the wait can be long, so apply to several.
6 min read
To apply for the NYC housing lottery, make a free profile on NYC Housing Connect, then apply before the deadline to each lottery your income and household size fit. Every on-time application gets a random log number, its place in line. If yours is reached, the building's agent asks for documents to confirm you qualify.
8 min read
A housing lottery is a random drawing that sets the order in which applicants are checked for an affordable home when more people apply than there are homes. Being drawn is not an approval. The building then verifies your income and household with documents before it offers you a unit.
6 min read