Low Income Apartments For Rent in Allentown, PA

There are 409 low-income apartments in Allentown that offer reduced rents to eligible households. Low-income rents in Allentown, Pennsylvania can range from $530 to $592 depending on the number of bedrooms.

Rental assistance programs support 2,048 low-income homes in Allentown where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $378 towards rent each month.

Affordable rent data for some communities last confirmed on July 2nd, 2024. Subdsidized rents typically change once a year based on federal guidance.

Public Housing Agencies Serving Allentown, Pennsylvania

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
Allentown Housing Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing
Lehigh County Housing Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing

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

Allentown, Pennsylvania Affordable Housing Data

Income Based Apartments in Allentown, Pennsylvania

Allentown features 2,048 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 Allentown, Pennsylvania

There are 409 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Allentown.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Allentown, Pennsylvania

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Allentown landlords $700 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Allentown.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Allentown, Pennsylvania for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,283 and $1,569.

2024 Allentown, Pennsylvania 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
Allentown, Pennsylvania Fair Market Rent	$972	$1,137	$1,426	$1,821	$1,900
Allentown, Pennsylvania Payment Standard Range	$875 to $1,069	$1,023 to $1,251	$1,283 to $1,569	$1,639 to $2,003	$1,710 to $2,090

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Allentown, PA Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties 88

Total Low Income Apartments 2,611

Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance 2,048

Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters 53.92%

Average Renter Household Size 2.74

Average Household Size 2.76

Median Household Income $36,930 ±$1,287

Median Rent $884 ±$13

Percentage Of Renters Overburdened 59.7% ± 3.02pp

Total Population 119,261

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	88
Total Low Income Apartments	2,611
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	2,048
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	53.92%
Average Renter Household Size	2.74
Average Household Size	2.76
Median Household Income	$36,930 ±$1,287
Median Rent	$884 ±$13
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	59.7% ± 3.02pp
Total Population	119,261

Population and Household Demographics

Allentown is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania with a population of 119,261. There are 41,244 households in the city with an average household size of 2.76 persons. 53.92% of households in Allentown are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Allentown

The median gross income for households in Allentown is $36,930 a year, or $3,078 a month. The median rent for the city is $884 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Allentown, a household making less than $2,947 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 59.7% of households who rent are overburdened in Allentown.

Area Median Income In Allentown

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 Allentown, the AMI is calculated from all households within Lehigh County.

In Allentown, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $97,600

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 Allentown

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 Allentown

	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 Allentown AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$20,150	$23,000	$25,900	$30,000	$35,140	$40,280	$45,420	$50,560
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Allentown AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$33,600	$38,400	$43,200	$47,950	$51,800	$55,650	$59,500	$63,300
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Allentown AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$53,700	$61,400	$69,050	$76,700	$82,850	$89,000	$95,150	$101,250