Terman Apartments
The Sheridan Apartments
There are 657 low-income apartments in Palo Alto that offer reduced rents to eligible households.
Rental assistance programs support 915 low-income homes in Palo Alto where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $435 towards rent each month.
Affordable rent data for some communities last confirmed on July 7th, 2024. Subdsidized rents typically change once a year based on federal guidance.
Public Housing Agencies Serving Palo Alto, California
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
| Housing Authority | Programs |
|---|---|
| San Jose City Housing Authority | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) |
| Santa Clara County Housing Authority | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing; Moving to Work |
Palo Alto, California Affordable Housing Data
Income Based Apartments in Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto features 915 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Palo Alto, California
There are 657 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Palo Alto.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Palo Alto, California
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Palo Alto landlords $1,700 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Palo Alto.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Palo Alto, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,819 and $3,445.
2024 Palo Alto, California Fair Market Rents and Housing Choice Voucher Payment Standards
Fair Market Rents can be used to better understand the average housing costs of an area. Fair Market Rents are used by HUD to establish payment and rent standards for federal rental assistance programs like the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.
| Studio | One BR | Two BR | Three BR | Four BR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto, California Fair Market Rent | $2,383 | $2,694 | $3,132 | $4,011 | $4,425 |
| Palo Alto, California Payment Standard Range | $2,145 to $2,621 | $2,425 to $2,963 | $2,819 to $3,445 | $3,610 to $4,412 | $3,983 to $4,868 |
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
Palo Alto, CA Affordable Housing Snapshot
| Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 21 |
|---|---|
| Total Low Income Apartments | 1,573 |
| Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 915 |
| Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 44.96% |
| Average Renter Household Size | 2.30 |
| Average Household Size | 2.53 |
| Median Household Income | $136,519 ±$9,592 |
| Median Rent | $2,210 ±$77 |
| Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 38.37% ± 3.79pp |
| Total Population | 66,478 |
Population and Household Demographics
Palo Alto is a city in Santa Clara County, California with a population of 66,478. There are 26,087 households in the city with an average household size of 2.53 persons. 44.96% of households in Palo Alto are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in Palo Alto
The median gross income for households in Palo Alto is $136,519 a year, or $11,377 a month. The median rent for the city is $2,210 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Palo Alto, a household making less than $7,367 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 38.37% of households who rent are overburdened in Palo Alto.
Area Median Income In Palo Alto
Affordable housing program eligibility is always determined by one's income. Each household's income is compared to the incomes of all other households in the area. This is accomplished through a statistic established by the government called the Area Median Income, most often referred to as AMI. The AMI is calculated and published each year by HUD.
HUD often uses an area larger than a city to determine the AMI because HUD anticipates those searching for housing will look beyond individual cities during their housing search. For Palo Alto, the AMI is calculated from all households within Santa Clara County.
In Palo Alto, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $181,300
Most affordable housing programs determine eligibility based on the percent of AMI a given household's income is. Among the programs that determine eligibility based on the AMI are Section 8, HOME, LIHTC, Section 515, 202 and 811.
Rental Assistance in Palo Alto
Rental assistance is a type of housing subsidy that pays for a portion of a renter’s monthly housing costs, including rent and tenant paid utilities. This housing assistance can come in the form of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, project-based Section 8 contracts, public housing, USDA Rental Assistance (in Section 515 properties) as well as HUD Section 202 and 811 properties for elderly and disabled households.
Income Qualifications for HUD Rental Assistance in Palo Alto
| 1 Person | 2 Person | 3 Person | 4 Person | 5 Person | 6 Person | 7 Person | 8 Person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 30% of the Palo Alto AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households. |
$37,450 | $42,800 | $48,150 | $53,500 | $57,800 | $62,100 | $66,350 | $70,650 |
| 50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Palo Alto AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households. |
$62,450 | $71,400 | $80,300 | $89,200 | $96,350 | $103,500 | $110,650 | $117,750 |
| 80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Palo Alto AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households. |
$96,000 | $109,700 | $123,400 | $137,100 | $148,100 | $159,050 | $170,050 | $181,000 |
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