Income Limits

Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) publishes data on the median income by area throughout the Country.

Do I Qualify?

Alameda County uses this information for many of its affordable housing programs, requiring our partners to verify the incomes of tenant households living in assisted properties. Current Income and Rent Limits (pdf) includes limits from other funding sources.

HUD Logo on the HOME program page

Housing and Urban Development

Woman sitting outside on deck doing taxes

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets income limits that determine eligibility for assisted housing programs including the Public Housing, Section 8 project-based, Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Section 202 housing for the elderly, and Section 811 housing for persons with disabilities programs. HUD develops income limits based on Median Family Income estimates and Fair Market Rent area definitions for each metropolitan area, parts of some metropolitan areas, and each non-metropolitan county.

HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) is pleased to announce that Fair Market Rents and Income Limits data are now available via an application programming interface (API). With this API, developers can easily access and customize Fair Market Rents and Income Limits data for use in existing applications or to create new applications.

California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC)

California Tax Credit Allocation Committee
(CTCAC) seal which has the state of California in the center, along with some apartment buildings

The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) administers the low income housing tax credit program to encourage private investment in affordable rental housing for households meeting certain income requirements. Credits are available for new construction projects or existing properties undergoing rehabilitation.

Two types of federal tax credits are available and are generally referred to as nine percent (9%) and four percent (4%) credits. Each number refers to the approximate percentage that is multiplied against a project’s requested “qualified basis” to determine the amount of annual federal credits CTCAC will award the project.

California Department of Housing and Community Development Logo

State California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)

State and Federal Income, Rent, and Loan/Value Limits: Income limits, rents, and loan-to-value limits are determined according to each development’s financing and the rules that pertain to that financing. Each of these three sections identifies which limit determination to use under which program. Check with your program contact if you are unsure which limit applies.