by A.W. Berry

Created on: November 05, 2009   Last Updated: February 19, 2010

Finding low income apartments for rent is a challenge faced by many Americans who face living expenses that consume much of their income. Not including private arrangement, lower rent neighborhoods due to low property values and alternative living, there are a number of programs and ways to help find low income apartments for rent. Some of these ways include federal, state, municipal or non-profit programs that provide assistance locating affordable housing, and/or in subsidizing the cost of rent. Qualification for these programs varies on criteria such as income, living status, health, and household information. Below is information on, and possible sources of information and assistance for locating low income apartments for rent.

I: HUD: Section 8

Low income earners who qualify for Section 8 housing assistance may receive assistance for rent in excess of 3/10ths of income; this is illustrated with more elaboration on the Section 8 website. To illustrate Section 8 qualification further, if an individual is determined by the local Section 8 administrator to be below a certain income mark, and that individual's income is $20,000 per year and their rent costs $8000/year, Section 8 may pay for $2000.00 worth of the housing expense. It is important to note that not all residences participate in the Section 8 program and not all persons who qualify for Section 8 are guaranteed to receive assistance.

II: USDA: Housing Community Facilities Program (HCFP) 

The HCFP program is administered by the US Department of Agriculture and not the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This program includes what its website calls Section 514 and 515 depending on the type of housing. Income qualification for this program is similar to that of the HUD administered Section 8 program with a key difference being the location and type of housing i.e. farm and rural housing. For more information on the Section 514 and 515 programs the following HCFP website is illustrative of the aforementioned information, and explains the program in further detail.

III: FEMA: Federal/State Disaster assistance

If home or living circumstances have been affected by an area officially designated as a disaster are the Federal Emergency Management Agency may be able to provide temporary rental assistance. For more information on FEMA run and sponsored programs please visit the FEMA website or contact them directly through the information available therein. FEMA is specifically for emergency and

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