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Birchwood at Pentecostal Square
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There are 632 low-income apartments in Chester that offer reduced rents to eligible households.
Rental assistance programs support 1,473 low-income homes in Chester where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $361 towards rent each month.
Affordable rent data for some communities last confirmed on June 25th, 2024. Subdsidized rents typically change once a year based on federal guidance.
Public Housing Agencies Serving Chester, 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 |
|---|---|
| Chester Housing Authority | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing; Homeownership Voucher; Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV) |
| Delaware County Housing Authority | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing |
Chester, Pennsylvania Affordable Housing Data
Income Based Apartments in Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester features 1,473 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 Chester, Pennsylvania
There are 632 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Chester.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Chester, Pennsylvania
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Chester landlords $800 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Chester.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Chester, Pennsylvania for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,563 and $1,911.
2024 Chester, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester, Pennsylvania Fair Market Rent | $1,303 | $1,451 | $1,737 | $2,100 | $2,422 |
| Chester, Pennsylvania Payment Standard Range | $1,173 to $1,433 | $1,306 to $1,596 | $1,563 to $1,911 | $1,890 to $2,310 | $2,180 to $2,664 |
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
Chester, PA Affordable Housing Snapshot
| Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 64 |
|---|---|
| Total Low Income Apartments | 2,150 |
| Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 1,473 |
| Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 62.1% |
| Average Renter Household Size | 2.59 |
| Average Household Size | 2.59 |
| Median Household Income | $27,365 ±$1,424 |
| Median Rent | $804 ±$22 |
| Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 58.76% ± 4.35pp |
| Total Population | 34,016 |
Population and Household Demographics
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania with a population of 34,016. There are 11,765 households in the city with an average household size of 2.59 persons. 62.1% of households in Chester are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in Chester
The median gross income for households in Chester is $27,365 a year, or $2,280 a month. The median rent for the city is $804 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Chester, a household making less than $2,680 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 58.76% of households who rent are overburdened in Chester.
Area Median Income In Chester
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 Chester, the AMI is calculated from all households within Delaware County.
In Chester, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $114,400
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 Chester
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 Chester
| 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 Chester AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households. |
$23,450 | $26,800 | $30,150 | $33,500 | $36,200 | $40,280 | $45,420 | $50,560 |
| 50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Chester AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households. |
$39,100 | $44,650 | $50,250 | $55,800 | $60,300 | $64,750 | $69,200 | $73,700 |
| 80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Chester AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households. |
$62,500 | $71,400 | $80,350 | $89,250 | $96,400 | $103,550 | $110,700 | $117,850 |
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