Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in San Diego County, CA (2024)

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Discover affordable housing in San Diego County where there are 445+ housing opportunities based on income and household needs like accessible units for seniors or persons with disabilities. Find and apply to these low income apartments now.

Chevy Chase

3753 Fairway Dr, La Mesa, California

bed1

payment$1300/mo.

Studio 15

1476 Imperial Ave, San Diego, California 92101

switch_access_shortcutShort Wait

paymentSubsidized

real_estate_agentAccepts Vouchers

paymentIncome Based

accessibilityAccessible

Sorrento Towers

2875 Cowley Way, San Diego, California 92110

bedStudio-1

switch_access_shortcutShort Wait

paymentSubsidized

accessibilityAccessible

Lexington Green

1415 E Lexington Avenue, El Cajon, California 92019

bed2-3

switch_access_shortcutShort Wait

paymentSubsidized

accessibilityAccessible

Laurel Park Senior Apartments

10122 Buena Vista Avenue, Santee, California 92071

bed1-2

switch_access_shortcutShort Wait

paymentSubsidized

real_estate_agentAccepts Vouchers

paymentIncome Based

accessibilityAccessible

Del Sol Apartments

3690 Del Sol Blvd., San Diego, California 92154

bed1-3

How To Identify Affordable Housing in San Diego County, California

Look for program and preference badges on affordable apartment listings. These badges can help you identify the types of low income housing each apartment offers and if you may be eligbile for rental assistance or reduced rents.

Badge	Description
switch_access_shortcutShort Wait	Low income apartments with no or short waiting lists.
paymentSubsidized	Low income housing where the rent is subsidized and the renter pays only a portion of total rent.
real_estate_agentAccepts Vouchers	Apartments that accept Section 8 vouchers near you
elderlySenior	Rental housing for seniors who are 55 (or sometimes 62) and older.
paymentIncome Based	Affordable apartments where the rent paid is based on renter income.
accessibilityAccessible	Meets Accessibilty Requirements of the Fair Housing Act, the ADA, or HUD policy.
accessible_forwardDisability	Apartments for individuals or families with disabilities.
real_estate_agentNaturally Affordable	Naturally Occuring Affordable Housing - or NOAH - is any housing unit that offers affordable rent without participating in a rent subsidy program.

San Diego County, California Section 8 HCV

calendar_todayOpened: Sep 1,2018

Open Until Further Notice

devices

calendar_month

touch_appGet the Application

Reported On February 23rd, 2024 byLorena Bentley

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The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment InSan Diego County, California

$53.66/hour

$37.66

(+235%) more thanCalifornia minimum wage and

$46.41

(+640%) more than the Federal minimum wage.

Learn More About San Diego County, California AffordableHousing ↓

What HUD offices serve San Diego County, California?

Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs atlocal levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within theirjurisdiction.

Housing Authority of the County of San Diego

Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing, Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH), Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV), Moderate Rehabilitation, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs for San Diego County, California.

Go to theCaliforniaPublic Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near San Diego County.

How many renters live in San Diego County, California?

The County of San Diego County haspeople living in households.

There are renters living inrenter households in thisCounty. Renters make up 41.56percent of the population living in San Diego County.

What is the rental market like in San Diego County, California?

There are an estimated housing units in theSan Diego County area. Of these, units are rentalhomes, making up percent of the housing market. Forevery renter household in San Diego County, California, there are1.05 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in San Diego County?

The rental vacancy rate in San Diego County is 4 percent.This is alower than averagevacancy rate.When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as morepeoplecompete for scarce housing.

How many rental units are in San Diego County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in San Diego County

Studio	One-Bedroom	Two-Bedroom	Three-Bedroom	Four+ Bedrooms
43,339	132,076	222,387	97,828	30,927

Occupied Rental Units by Size in San Diego County

A large number of apartments in San Diego County have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and youngprofessionalsespecially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.

How Much Is Rent in San Diego County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - rangesfrom $2,062 to $4,638. FMRs areupdated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size	2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio	$2,062
One BR	$2,248
Two BR	$2,833
Three BR	$3,819
Four BR	$4,638

2024 Fair Market Rents in San Diego County, California

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in San Diego County?

Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s FairMarket Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find aqualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shortersearch times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.

These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:

Unit Size	Count of Units Below FMR	Percentage of Total Units Below FMR
Studio	17,696	41 percent
One BR	41,710	32 percent
Two BR	36,223	16 percent

Rental Units Below FMR in San Diego County, California

How many affordable rental units are in San Diego County?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households inSan Diego County, California including the following:

Federal Program	Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit
Public Housing
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance
Mod Rehab Project-Based Rental Assistance
Section 236 Rental Assistance
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing
USDA Section 514 Farm Labor Housing

Tracked Units by Federal Program in San Diego County, California

Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.

Income Based Apartments in San Diego County, California

San Diego County features 10,876 income based apartments.Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent andutilities.

Low Rent Apartments in San Diego County, California

There are 24,458 rent subsidized apartments that do notprovide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in San Diego County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in San Diego County, California

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay San Diego County landlords$900 per month towards rent. The average voucher holdercontributes $500 towards rent inSan Diego County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in San Diego County, California fora two-bedroom apartment is between $2,550 and $3,116.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.comresearch.

Affordable Housing Tip

More people usually means more waiting lists.

Areas with the highest populations tend to have the most amount of waiting list opportunities.

What Renters Say About Us

Judea I. Lawton says:

"Affordable Housing Online is a great resource for those needing housing."

Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in San Diego County, CA (2024)

FAQs

How do I qualify for low income housing in San Diego? ›

Who is eligible?

People who live or work in the City of San Diego.
Individuals and families with annual income less than 80 percent of San Diego's Area Median Income (AMI)
Veterans and active-duty military.
Low-income seniors age 62 or older.
Individuals with disabilities.
Homeless families and individuals.

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What is the least expensive place to live in San Diego County? ›

1. Borrego Springs. With a median home price of $388,871 and a median rent of $989, Borrego Springs is the cheapest city on our list.

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How long is the waiting list for section 8 in San Diego? ›

It can take more than 10 years for your name to reach the top of the list. We will send a letter to you when your name has been selected. If you have not already done so, apply for housing assistance.

What is considered affordable housing in San Diego County? ›

Housing Affordability

Housing is considered affordable when no more than 30% of household income is spent on housing.

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How do I know if I qualify for low income housing in California? ›

To be eligible for the program, a family's gross annual income must be below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI) in Los Angeles County. Seventy-five percent of new admissions must have gross annual incomes at or below 30% of the AMI. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) determines the AMI yearly.

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How do you qualify for an apartment in San Diego? ›

Rental Application Requirements

Applicant net income must be at least three times the amount of the rent.
Verifiable sources of income with phone numbers to check. ...
A copy of current valid driver's license and/or a picture CA. ...
Previous landlord and present landlord reference required.

More items...

Where to live if you can't afford San Diego? ›

Affordable Neighborhoods in San Diego – 7 Options To Consider

Serra Mesa: Affordable Living with a Community Vibe. ...
Normal Heights: The Charm of Affordable Urban Lifestyle. ...
Linda Vista: College Vibes in a Budget-Friendly Neighborhood. ...
Mission Valley: Shopping and Affordability Combined.

More items...

May 20, 2024

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What is a comfortable income to live in San Diego? ›

However, the salary requirement is higher in cities like Sacramento, Los Angeles, Irvine, and San Diego. To live comfortably, people in these areas should make over $104,000. The study found that 7 of the 10 cities with the highest salaries needed to live comfortably are in California.

Keep Reading ›

What is the safest city to live in San Diego? ›

Check out our list of the top five safe, affordable neighborhoods in San Diego!

Carmel Valley.
Rancho Bernardo.
Rancho Penasquitos.
Sabre Springs.
Scripps Ranch.

Sep 3, 2024

How do I get an emergency housing voucher in San Diego? ›

If you are interested in a referral for the EHV program, contact 2-1-1 San Diego or visit a Coordinated Entry Access Site. See the EHV FAQ's for more information on Emergency Housing Voucher's. Providers with referral matches from the Coordinated Entry System will be contacted via email.

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Can a single person qualify for Section 8 in California? ›

To be eligible for the Section 8 HCV Program, the household must be either a family or a single person whose income does not exceed the area limits set by HUD. Only applicants meeting Extremely Low and Very Low-Income standards are eligible for the HCV Program.

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What is the most Section 8 will pay? ›

The maximum housing assistance is generally the lesser of the payment standard minus 30% of the family's monthly adjusted income or the gross rent for the unit minus 30% of monthly adjusted income.

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How to qualify for income restricted apartments in San Diego? ›

Qualified households with annual income that is no greater than 80 percent of San Diego's Area Median Income (AMI) can rent from SDHC at below-market rates. Low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities can rent from SDHC if their income is no greater than 80 percent of San Diego's AMI.

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How does low-income housing work in San Diego? ›

CITY OF SAN DIEGO HOUSING PROGRAMS To qualify, you must live or work in the City of San Diego. The Housing Choice Voucher program provides rent subsidies to lower-income and special needs households. Their housing costs are 30 to 40 percent of their adjusted monthly household income.

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What is low income in California for a single person? ›

Very-Low, Low and Moderate-Income Limits

Household Size	Very-Low Income	Low-Income
1	$11,550 or less	$11,551 - $19,300
2	$13,200 or less	$13,201 - $22,050
3	$14,900 or less	$14,901 - $24,800
4	$16,550 or less	$16,551 - $27,550

4 more rows

How much do you have to make for low income housing California? ›

Will I Qualify for Affordable Housing?

Household Size	Extremely-Low Income, Not to Exceed:	Low Income, Not to Exceed:
1 person	$33,150	$88,400
2 person	$37,900	$101,000
3 person	$42,650	$113,650
4 person	$47,350	$126,250

4 more rows

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Who can afford housing in San Diego? ›

According to a recent study by Zillow, people looking to buy a home in San Diego need to have an income of at least $273,613. A monthly mortgage payment in San Diego is approximately $5,757 with a 10% down payment.

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What is the basic housing allowance for San Diego? ›

In larger cities, like San Francisco and San Diego, the stipend is higher because of the higher cost of living. The rates in San Diego go from $2684 to $5334, depending on the service member's rank and whether or not they have dependents.

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What salary is needed to live in San Diego? ›

However, the salary requirement is higher in cities like Sacramento, Los Angeles, Irvine, and San Diego. To live comfortably, people in these areas should make over $104,000.

Get More Info Here ›