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There are 929 low-income apartments in Lehigh County that offer reduced rents to eligible households. Low-income rents in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania can range from $481 to $694 depending on the number of bedrooms.
Rental assistance programs support 3,998 low-income homes in Lehigh County where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $363 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 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 |
---|---|
Lehigh County Housing Authority | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing |
Lehigh County features 3,998 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
There are 929 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Lehigh County.
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Lehigh County landlords $700 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Lehigh County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,283 and $1,569.
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 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Fair Market Rent | $972 | $1,137 | $1,426 | $1,821 | $1,900 |
Lehigh County, 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.
Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 128 |
---|---|
Total Low Income Apartments | 5,090 |
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 3,998 |
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 33.43% |
Average Renter Household Size | 2.43 |
Average Household Size | 2.60 |
Median Household Income | $56,117 ±$1,027 |
Median Rent | $929 ±$14 |
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 51.55% ± 1.94pp |
Total Population | 356,756 |
Lehigh County is a county in Pennsylvania with a population of 356,756. There are 133,960 households in the county with an average household size of 2.60 persons. 33.43% of households in Lehigh County are renters.
The median gross income for households in Lehigh County is $56,117 a year, or $4,676 a month. The median rent for the county is $929 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Lehigh County, a household making less than $3,097 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 51.55% of households who rent are overburdened in Lehigh County.
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.
In Lehigh County, 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 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.
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 Lehigh County 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 Lehigh County 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 Lehigh County 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 |