Julia Anderson
Or you could read this guide that tells you exactly what to do to get the budget-friendly place you need now.
Table Of Contents
- How To Find Low Income Housing With No Waiting List
- How To Contact Affordable Apartment Buildings
- Section 8 Preferences That Get Affordable Housing Faster
How To Find Low Income Housing With No Waiting List
Inflation has made your bills higher than ever, and your limited income is no longer stretching as far as it used to. You need to find low income apartments now, as your current rent is no longer affordable, you’ve missed monthly payments, and now your landlord is breathing down your neck. What should you do?
2023
Tax Forgiveness
We know how challenging it can be to pay off your tax debt.
The IRS just announced the 2023 Fresh Start Program, to qualify more people for tax relief!
You could hit Google or your favorite search engine and type in “low income housing w no waiting list” to see what pops up. Or you could find affordable apartments by following these tips.
Find Income Based Housing With The HUD Resource Locator
What is income based housing? It’s housing that charges you rent according to your income. If you don’t make much money, income based apartments are ideal since they won’t be out of your price range or limited budget. Instead, their cost will adjust according to you and not the other way around.
Where can you find income based apartments? The first step is to find affordable housing buildings. Then, you contact them to see if they are set up to offer any income based apartments.
You can find affordable housing buildings to contact in multiple ways. Perhaps the easiest and most direct way is to use a tool from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development dubbed the “HUD Resource Locator.” There are many reasons to start your cheap housing search with the HUD Resource Locator, as it can help you find:
- Affordable housing in your area (buildings you can contact to see if they offer income based apartments)
- The nearest HUD office (to get information about federal rental assistance programs like Section 8 and other housing benefits)
- The nearest Public Housing Agency or PHA (to get free housing assistance through a counselor)
- Homeless resources in your area (such as shelters, soup kitchens, etc.)
- Elderly and special needs housing (if someone in your household has unique requirements)
In short, the HUD Resource Locator acts like a one-stop shop for free housing assistance. And beyond helping you kill several birds with one stone related to your affordable apartments search, it is also an official tool of the U.S. government, so you won’t have to worry about scams.
How can you use the HUD Resource Locator to find income based housing with no waiting list? Do this:
- Visit the HUD Resource Locator homepage.
- Click on the first option: “Find Affordable Housing Opportunities Near Me.”
- A map of your current location will appear, thanks to the GPS on your device. If you want to find cheap housing in another area, you can enter the city or address in the search field at the top of the page.
- Once your desired location’s map is on the screen, you will see colored icons appear. Click on each to learn more, such as the type of housing (Multifamily, low income housing tax credit property, etc.) You may also see if the building participates in the Section 202 program for the elderly or if it has subsidized housing units (which we will discuss in a second), management’s contact information, the number of units according to size (one bedroom, two bedroom, etc.), and other pertinent information on the property.
In your search for low income housing with no waiting list via the HUD Resource Locator, your ideal buildings have subsidized housing units. These are units where tenants pay about 30 percent of their adjusted income towards rent and utilities.
Why is this so important? Because this type of income based housing gives you similar savings/benefits to the popular Section 8 or Housing Choice Voucher Program, which helps you save by only charging you 30 percent of your income towards rent. But instead of having to apply for a Section 8 voucher, hoping you get accepted, and sitting on a waitlist that could last several years, a subsidized unit could let you move in and enjoy cheap rent without even having a voucher if that building has its own funding that lets it offer such savings to tenants.
As you move around your HUD Resource Locator map and see various icons, the goal is to find as many buildings as possible with subsidized units that charge 30 percent of income for rent. Make a list of all of these affordable apartment buildings, as you will be contacting them later to see if they have any openings so you can get low income housing without waiting. Some will have subsidized units reserved for those with Section 8 vouchers, while others will not require vouchers for you to get income based housing.
Find Income Based Apartments Through Your PHA
Your nearest Public Housing Agency (PHA) can supply you with a counselor that offers free housing assistance. This means that they can help you learn more about federal rental assistance programs like Section 8, plus assist with your application. But it also means they can help in other ways, such as offering assistance with finding income based apartments.
Besides using the HUD Resource Locator, contact your local PHA or one in the area where you’d like to live. Ask if they have a list of contacts of affordable housing buildings they can share. Then take this list and add it to your contacts from the HUD Resource Locator results.
Find Income Based Housing Via Search Engines
You can input various phrases into Google or other search engines to find cheap apartments too. Phrases like “affordable housing near me” or “low income housing w no waiting list” could work, but you must be cautious with the results.
Some may have outdated information or, even worse, be sites filled with scams looking to steal your information or cash. While search engines can help you find cheap housing fast, your best bet is to use the other tips above.
How To Contact Affordable Apartment Buildings
Once you find income based housing contacts via the HUD Resource Locator, your PHA, and Google, your next step is to call or email their managers or landlords. This is the step where you find out if they have low income housing with no waiting list, and you can use these scripts, so you know exactly what to say or write.
2023
Tax Forgiveness
We know how challenging it can be to pay off your tax debt.
The IRS just announced the 2023 Fresh Start Program, to qualify more people for tax relief!
When calling:
Hi,
I’m interested in being a tenant in your building. Do you have units that charge 30 percent of income for rent?
If so, what is the process to get one of those units? Can I fill out an application? How long is your waiting list?
(Once you get that info, you can quickly ask more personal questions that pertain to your situation, such as how many bedrooms the units have, if they accept children, etc. If the units appear to be a good fit, proceed.)
Could I set up an appointment to see a unit and apply?
Thank you.
When emailing:
Dear (name of the manager/landlord),
I see that your building has low-income tenants, and I would like to learn more about applying to become one.
Do you have any units that charge 30 percent of income? If so, are you accepting applications, and how long is the waiting list?
Thank you. I look forward to speaking to you soon.
Sincerely,
(Your name)
Section 8 Preferences That Get Affordable Housing Faster
As we mentioned in detail, the best way to get low income apartments without waiting is to find affordable housing buildings and contact them directly via those phone and email scripts shared above. But what if you cannot find buildings with units that charge 30 percent of income?
Or what if you are already dead set on Section 8 and plan to apply for benefits from the Housing Choice Voucher Program? If that’s the case, you can use Section 8 preferences to get cheap housing faster.
Section 8 is superb for those who want to lower their rent in the long term since it limits your monthly out-of-pocket housing expenses to just 30 percent of your income. By putting this cap on your out-of-pocket rent (and sometimes utilities), you can avoid paying over half of what you make to your landlord, as 25 percent of low-income households do. And in doing so, you can save a ton of cash each month and use it for other bills or purposes to stop living paycheck to paycheck.
That rent cap is Section 8’s top highlight. Here is its top disadvantage: Section 8 can sometimes put you on a waitlist that can last years. And while some Section 8 waitlists last just one or two years, certain applicants have found that their wait in high-demand areas like big cities could last up to 10 years.
If you need affordable rent now, you obviously cannot wait 10 years for your Housing Choice Voucher to come through. That’s why you should use Section 8 preferences to shorten that wait time and push you past other applicants in line.
What is a Section 8 preference? Think of it as a characteristic that gives you priority over other applicants. As an example, let’s say you are homeless right now. That puts you in a dire situation, as it can negatively impact your family’s safety and security. Homelessness is a Section 8 preference, and if it applies to your situation, it can get you a Housing Choice Voucher quicker.
Does this mean being homeless or having another Section 8 preference will instantly give you a voucher? Probably not, as other applicants may have preferences too. But the more preferences apply to your situation, the less time you will wait for cheap housing.
Preferences are assigned point values that Public Housing Agencies use to rank applicants. And you can stack preferences to accelerate your wait time. Unfortunately, not all PHAs use preferences, so you may have to contact several near you until you find one that does.
The preferences used may also vary according to location. In short, contact your PHA, ask about their preferences, and get all the details before applying. And should any preferences that apply to your situation change while you wait, notify your PHA as well.
As for what the specific Section 8 preferences are, here is a list. Know that they must apply to the head of household, the co-head, or their spouse. And if you claim a preference, your PHA counselor will ask that you have documentation to prove it.
- Homelessness – As mentioned, homelessness is one of the top Section 8 waitlist preferences that can get you income based housing faster. What constitutes being homeless? According to most PHAs, it is living in a shelter. In other words, if you are bouncing from couch to couch or living with family or friends, that does not qualify.
- Disabled – You can use the disabled Section 8 preference if you cannot live on your own or receive disability benefits. You may also qualify if more suitable housing could help your condition.
- Victim of domestic violence – Do you have legal documentation proving that you are a domestic violence victim? Or do you live in a domestic violence shelter? Then this Section 8 preference may apply to you.
- Displaced by disaster or government action – If a flood or other federally-declared natural disaster displaced you from your home, use this Section 8 preference. The same holds true if you were displaced by government action, such as code enforcement or a reduction in funding for your housing authority.
- Rent-burdened – If you pay over 30 percent of your income towards rent, you could be considered rent-burdened and use this Section 8 waitlist preference.
- Substandard housing – Does your home lack heat/cooling, plumbing, a kitchen, or have electrical issues that make it unsafe? Then you could use the substandard housing Section 8 preference.
Eric Tomasso