Low Income Apartments For Rent in Dorchester, MA

There are 3,629 low-income apartments in Dorchester that offer reduced rents to eligible households. Low-income rents in Dorchester, Massachusetts can range from $974 to $1,408 depending on the number of bedrooms.

Rental assistance programs support 6,089 low-income homes in Dorchester where households pay rent based on how much they earn.

Affordable rent data for some communities last confirmed on June 7th, 2024. Subdsidized rents typically change once a year based on federal guidance.

Public Housing Agencies Serving Dorchester, Massachusetts

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
Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Moving to Work

Go to the Massachusetts Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Dorchester.

Dorchester, Massachusetts Affordable Housing Data

Income Based Apartments in Dorchester, Massachusetts

Dorchester features 6,089 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 Dorchester, Massachusetts

There are 3,629 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Dorchester.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Dorchester, Massachusetts

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Dorchester landlords $0 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $0 towards rent in Dorchester.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Dorchester, Massachusetts for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,262 and $1,542.

2024 Dorchester, Massachusetts 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
Dorchester, Massachusetts Fair Market Rent	$950	$1,100	$1,402	$1,807	$1,867
Dorchester, Massachusetts Payment Standard Range	$855 to $1,045	$990 to $1,210	$1,262 to $1,542	$1,626 to $1,988	$1,680 to $2,054

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Area Median Income In Dorchester

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 Dorchester, the AMI is calculated from all households within Berkshire County.

In Dorchester, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $88,800

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 Dorchester

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 Dorchester

	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 Dorchester AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$21,500	$24,600	$27,650	$30,700	$35,140	$40,280	$45,420	$50,560
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Dorchester AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$35,850	$40,950	$46,050	$51,150	$55,250	$59,350	$63,450	$67,550
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Dorchester AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$57,300	$65,500	$73,700	$81,850	$88,400	$94,950	$101,500	$108,050