; Low Income Apartments For Rent in San Rafael, CA

Apply to San Rafael Apartment Waiting Lists

1827 Lincoln Ave Unit 217

1827 Lincoln Ave
San Rafael, California
$2,395
1 BR

8 3rd St Unit 5

8 3rd St
San Rafael, California
$2,250
1 BR

86 Elizabeth Way

86 Elizabeth Way
San Rafael, California
$3,200
2 BR

1495 Lincoln Ave

1495 Lincoln Ave
San Rafael, California
$1,850
1 BR

Sommerhill Townhomes

30 Novato St
San Rafael, California
Rent Assisted
LIHTC

Rotary Valley Senior Village

10 Jeannette Prandi Way
San Rafael, California
Rent Assisted
LIHTC

Turina House

10 Labrea Way Apt 1
San Rafael, California
Rent Assisted
LIHTC

Rotary Manor

1821 5th Ave
San Rafael, California
Call For Rent
Studio-1 BR

Pilgrim Park Apartments

96 Pilgrim Way
San Rafael, California
Subsidized
Rent Assisted
PBRA
BMIR
S236

Mariposa Apartments Roger Green Apartments

7 Mariposa Rd
San Rafael, California
Rent Assisted
HOME

Marin Lagoon

Mariners Circle
San Rafael, California

Belvedere Place Apartments

162 Belvedere St
San Rafael, California
Rent Assisted
LIHTC

Lone Palm Court

840 C St
San Rafael, California
Rent Assisted
LIHTC
Showing Results 16-28

There are 360 low-income apartments in San Rafael that offer reduced rents to eligible households.

Rental assistance programs support 369 low-income homes in San Rafael where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $475 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 San Rafael, 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
Marin Housing Authority Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing
Go to the California Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near San Rafael.

San Rafael, California Affordable Housing Data

Income Based Apartments in San Rafael, California

San Rafael features 369 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 San Rafael, California

There are 360 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in San Rafael.

Housing Choice Vouchers in San Rafael, California

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay San Rafael landlords $1,800 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in San Rafael.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in San Rafael, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $3,023 and $3,695.

2024 San Rafael, 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
San Rafael, California Fair Market Rent $2,292 $2,818 $3,359 $4,112 $4,473
San Rafael, California Payment Standard Range $2,063 to $2,521 $2,536 to $3,100 $3,023 to $3,695 $3,701 to $4,523 $4,026 to $4,920

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

San Rafael, CA Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties 28
Total Low Income Apartments 735
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance 369
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters 47.25%
Average Renter Household Size 2.68
Average Household Size 2.49
Median Household Income $77,294 ±$3,472
Median Rent $1,517 ±$56
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened 55.47% ± 4.69pp
Total Population 58,819

Population and Household Demographics

San Rafael is a city in Marin County, California with a population of 58,819. There are 22,826 households in the city with an average household size of 2.49 persons. 47.25% of households in San Rafael are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in San Rafael

The median gross income for households in San Rafael is $77,294 a year, or $6,441 a month. The median rent for the city is $1,517 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In San Rafael, a household making less than $5,057 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 55.47% of households who rent are overburdened in San Rafael.

Area Median Income In San Rafael

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 San Rafael, the AMI is calculated from all households within Marin County.

In San Rafael, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $175,000

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 San Rafael

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 San Rafael

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 San Rafael AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.
$39,050 $44,600 $50,200 $55,750 $60,250 $64,700 $69,150 $73,600
50% AMI Income Limits
Renters earning up to 50% of the San Rafael AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.
$65,050 $74,350 $83,650 $92,900 $100,350 $107,800 $115,200 $122,650
80% AMI Income Limits
Renters earning up to 80% of the San Rafael AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.
$104,100 $118,950 $133,800 $148,650 $160,550 $172,450 $184,350 $196,250