What Are the Eligibility Requirements for HUD Senior Housing?
As of 2015, the Department of Housing and Urban Development public-housing program is available to low-income seniors who are at least 62 years old. Applicants must meet income guidelines, which are divided into two tiers, low-income and very-low-income. Income limits are based on where the person lives.
HUD defines a low-income household as one in which the combined household income is less than 80 percent of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which the individual or family lives. Households with a total income of 50 percent or less of the median income are considered very-low-income. Income limits are based on gross annual income; however, HUD regulations allow applicants to deduct $480 for each dependent and $400 for each elderly person living in the household. Some medical deductions are allowed as well.
Applicants for HUD-subsidized senior housing must provide documentation of income and assets and proof of age. HUD also requires that applicants provide a list of the names, ages and relationship to the head-of-household of everyone living in the home, as well as an estimate of the anticipated household income for the next 12 months. A full rental history also is required.
Additional information about income limits and the tenant-selection process for HUD-subsidized senior housing is available on HUD.gov. The website also provides a list of rental properties organized by state. However, it was last updated in 2010, so some of the information is out-of-date.