Properties with Project-Based subsidy (some or all of the units)

These properties are private, non-profit or Housing Authority Public rental housing where the federal and/or state government provides subsidies directly to the property through a HUD contract. The property owner or housing authority applies those subsidies to the rents he/she charges income eligible households. Unlike the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher tenant-based subsidy program, Project-based subsidy is not portable or transferrable. It stays with the property.

Your rent at a Project-based subsidized property will be approximately 30 % of your adjusted monthly income as long as you qualify. You will need to income qualify and recertify your income at least once per year, or more often if necessary. Applicants for these properties need to qualify between the HUD Extremely Very low (30%) and the HUD Low (80%) annual gross income limits, depending upon program requirements and give preference to lower income limit households.

HUD Project-Based programs include, but are not limited to:
HUD Section 8 Multifamily programs
HUD PRAC program for the elderly or disabled
HUD 202/8 program for the elderly
Housing Authority Project Based program

Please call the MAIN CONTACT on each property listing for specific program or property eligibility.

USDA Rental Assistance Project - Based (RA) subsidized apartments

These properties are privately owned rental housing financed through the USDA Rural Housing Service Rental Assistance program. If the Department of Agriculture provides subsidies directly to the property through a Rental Assistance contract, the property owner applies those subsidies to the rents he/she charges income eligible households. Unlike the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, Rental Assistance (RA) subsidy is not portable or transferrable. It stays with the property.

With USDA Rental Assistance subsidy, your rent will be approximately 30 % of your adjusted monthly income as long as you qualify. Often however, Rental Assistance (RA) is not available for every unit at the property. If an applicant is not qualified for Rental Assistance or Rental Assistance is not available at move-in, your rent will be 30% of your income, however the lowest you will pay is the property's Base rent and the highest you will pay is the property's Note rate rent. If you move-in without RA subsidy, but income-qualify for it, you may be placed on a waiting list for RA subsidy at that property depending upon need. Applicants for these properties need to qualify between the USDA Very Low (50%) and the USDA Moderate (80%) adjusted income limits. In general, USDA properties can accept applicants at a higher income level than most HUD programs allow, and give a preference to lower income applicants.

Please call the MAIN CONTACT on each property listing for specific program or property eligibility.

Properties that offer subsidized apartments through other City, Local or Private funding

Subsidy is available through a City, Local or private funding program to qualifying households.

Examples include:
1. Shelter Plus Care offers subsidy for disabled individuals involved with a participating agency.
2. Vash- HUD Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing provides vouchers for subsidized rent to homeless veterans and their families as part of case management and services through the VA.
3. Salvation Army Homeless Family Assistance (HFA) Program assists homeless families with move-in costs, rental subsidy and case management to help maintain affordable housing for a specified period of time.

Please call the MAIN CONTACT on each property listing for specific program or property eligibility.

Properties that accept Tenant-Based Housing Authority Provided Vouchers

Properties in this category are private or publically owned properties that accept applicants with a Housing Authority provided Housing Choice Section 8 voucher or certificate. You must first have applied and received a voucher through your local housing authority program. You should contact your city or county Housing Authority directly for an application for their voucher/subsidy program.

All properties listed on our site that do not have Project-Based subsidy through another government program will take a Section 8 voucher. Vouchers are portable and transferrable because they stay with the household, not the property, once you move out of the property. Then you can take your voucher to a property that accepts them and receive a subsidized rent.

With a voucher or certificate, you will generally only pay 30% of your monthly household income for rent. Maximum rent amounts that the owner can charge are designated by the Federal Government and income limits apply. If an owner wishes to charge more than the maximum rent authorized by the housing authority, the tenant may be asked to pay all or part of the difference.

Please call the MAIN CONTACT on each property listing for specific program or property eligibility.

Properties that offer Washington State Housing Tax Credit Affordable apartments (non-subsidized)

These properties have entered into a long term contract with the Washington State Housing Finance Commission to keep rents affordable to low income households for at least 21 years. In exchange for their commitment, owners of Tax Credit properties (LIHTC) are able to reduce their IRS tax assessment as long as qualified families are placed in their apartments and remain income qualified.

These properties do not have Project-Based subsidy, so unless there is another subsidy program "layered" into a Tax Credit property, or you have a Housing Authority Section 8 Voucher, your rent will not be subsidized. The rent you will qualify for at these properties are restricted by HUD rent limits and will depend upon your annual income level. These are called income set-asides. The property may have rent ranges, lowest to highest, but a family in a higher income level may not qualify for the lowest rent level. There may also be some other set asides at the property, called occupancy set asides, such as for large families, disabled households or farm labor households. Properties with these types of set asides would give preference for rents and units to households that qualify.

Waiting lists can also vary greatly at these properties. There are often much longer wait times for the lower rent amounts and may be no wait at all for the higher rent amounts at the property. In addition, often your annual income level may determine which unit you will qualify for. This can also effect the time you may need to wait for a unit to become available.

For example,
Let's say a property has a Tax Credit income set aside of 30% units at a rent of $350 per month. That rent is only available if your gross annual income is less than, for example, $15,000 per year. If all of the 30% units are currently occupied, your household could not immediately move-in to a 30% unit. You may have to either wait for a 30% unit to become available, or, if you can afford a higher rent, you can move-in more quickly.

Tax Credit properties usually have more than one income set aside, so units are generally offered at varying rents between 30%-80% area median income. They will also generally have a minimum monthly income requirement, such as 2x the amount of the rent.

Please call the MAIN CONTACT on each property listing for specific program or property eligibility.

Properties that offer Affordable, Non-Subsidized Apartments

Properties in this category restrict rents to below-market for qualified low-income applicants. These properties do not have Project-Based subsidy built-in, so your rent will not be subsidized unless you have a Housing Authority Section 8 voucher.

We list properties funded under Washington State Housing Tax Credit program; Washington State Tax-Exempt Bond program; Housing Authority owned properties, HUD Non-subsidized programs such as the 202 and 236 program, and privately owned non-government funded properties that accept Section 8 vouchers. Income limits apply when a property is funded under a federal or state low income program.

The rent and unit you will qualify for at these properties may depend upon your annual income level. These are called income set-asides. The property may have rent ranges, lowest to highest, but a family in a higher income level may not qualify for the lowest rent level. There may also be some other set asides at the property called occupancy set asides, such as for large families, disabled households or farm labor qualifiers. Properties with these types of set asides would give preference for rents and units to households that qualify.

Waiting lists can also vary greatly at these properties. There are often much longer wait times for the lower rent amounts and may be no wait at all for the higher rent amounts at the property. In addition, often your annual income level may determine which unit you will qualify for. This can also effect the time you may need to wait for a unit to become available.

Please call the MAIN CONTACT on each property listing for specific program or property eligibility.