AFFORDABLE

HOUSING 101
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, housing is defined as “affordable” if it costs
below 30% of a family’s gross income, which is typically
calculated as the combined income of all family members
above 18 years. Housing programs include public housing,
which are properties owned by either state or federal
authorities, as well as rental assistance programs.

PUBLIC HOUSING
refers to properties owned by the state or
federal government
portion of rent one pays is contingent on
his or her household’s total income
many types of public housing unit types
available, ranging from high-rise
apartments to smaller houses; public
houses vary due to many factors such as
family size

AM I ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC HOUSING?

An undocumented immigrant’s eligibility for public housing
varies from program to program. In Massachusetts, no state public
housing should require information about your immigration
status. This means that no matter your immigration status, you
may be eligible for state housing programs in Massachusetts. For
federal programs, whether or not immigration status is required
varies from program to program.

RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Rental assistance programs provide assistance to
low-income individuals who are renting in the
private market
Housing authority or nonprofit agency approves the
contract and administers the voucher, makes
periodical inspections to ensure condition standards
of the apartment, and conducts a yearly review of
the recipient’s income and household composition
There are both state and federal voucher programs,
like the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program
(MVRP), and Section 8 vouchers. While Section 8
vouchers require citizenship or eligible immigration
status, MVRP does not.

MASSACHUSETTS RENTAL VOUCHER PROGRAM (MVRP)

Offers both tenant- and project-based rental subsidies
A tenant-based voucher is valid for any housing unit that meets the
standards of the state sanitary code. The state subsidy or voucher
value is a set amount which is determined by several factors
including the tenant's income, household size and geography.
Project-based vouchers are assigned to a specific housing unit or
development. For this type of voucher, participants pay either 35% or
40% of their adjusted gross income, depending upon whether or not
heat is included in the utilities.
 According to the U.S.
Department of Housing and
Urban Development, to be
eligible for public housing or
rental assistance programs, your
household cannot typically earn
more than 80 percent of the area
median income. Income limits
for public housing and vouchers
are set by the government and
change every year.

Note that other criteria for eligibility apply.

To be eligible to live in state assisted elderly
public housing, you must be at least 60 years
old.

If you are a person with a disability, you must

meet certain criteria to be eligible for state or
federal housing for disabled persons.

Remember that you should never falsely claim to

be a citizen or an eligible noncitizen on your
housing application. If caught, you could be
denied housing benefits and may also suffer
immigration consequences.,

Visit Mass.gov and

MassLegalHelp to learn more
about housing programs in
which you may be eligible.