How To Qualify For Low Income Housing Los Angeles
Finding low-income or subsidized housing in the city can be quite difficult, even more so now with most of the properties being rented before the pandemic.
There are many ways to approach finding affordable living spaces in LA. Some people look at public facilities like community centers and libraries where residents may have free access. Others visit apartments and houses that use direct referral services such as Re/Max or Movoto.
Others search online resources like RentHop and Apartment List to see what types of listings are available. By registering to these sites, you get quick results and customized information depending on your searches.
This article will go into detail about some easy ways to find low income homes in the city. There is no guarantee that any of these tips work for others though, so do not rely solely on them!
Reminder: This article was written during May 2020 when there were very few guidelines set up regarding social distancing. Make sure to check out our article from earlier this year if you need help navigating how to best stay safe while looking for a new place to live.
Table of Contents
Visit Public Facilities During Non-Work Hours
One of the easiest ways to find low cost or subsidized housing in the city is by visiting public facilities during non-work hours. Most large cities offer educational facilities, gyms, movie theaters, and other areas for members only, typically paid for through taxes.
Understand what subsidies low income housing receives
There are two major types of subsidy that low-income rental homes in LA receive: tax credits and government loans or grants. These can be applied to both down payment assistance and mortgage payments!
Tax credit subsidies are given to qualifying renters according to their income. The more you make, the higher your rent would be paid for, which is why it’s important to know just how much money you make so you don’t exceed this limit.
Government loan or grant subsidies reduce the amount of money you need to put up as a down payment or pay monthly house bills such as utilities, insurance, and property taxes - these items all add up quickly!
This article will talk about some common ways people overqualify for low income housing and what to do if you find yourself in this situation.
Learn how to qualify for federal subsidies
In addition to making sure you have enough money to live on, there are two other important things to consider when looking at subsidized housing in LA.
The first is whether or not the apartment is close to your workplace or public transportation. This can be tricky since most low income apartments require you to spend several hours of work every day near an area with good transit.
The second is whether or not the apartment is accessible to people with disabilities. Most federally funded affordable rental units include access features such as wheelchair friendly entrances, bathrooms that are wide enough to accommodate a person using a cane, etc.
If you need help paying for a place to stay, don’t hesitate to look into it! There are many ways to find out if you qualify for HUD (or Section 8) funding, some free others through social services. Your best bet is probably going through your local county human resources department, but you could also try visiting the National Affordable Housing Network’s website.
Be familiar with the different types of low income housing
There are two major categories of low-income affordable housing in America: subsidized and tax credit developments.
Subsidized developments have lower rents than market rate units, but you have to apply as an individual unit owner first. This is usually done through your local public land use board or agency that administers such properties.
Tax credit developments offer more lucrative returns due to their funding source, making them the better option if you’re looking to invest in large amounts of rental real estate.
A common misconception about tax credits is that you only get one per development project, when in fact there can be many. For example, say you wanted to buy a house with a lot next door. You could put in a separate building request to add a second tax credit owned by your company.
And just because something has a tax incentive does not mean it is completely free. The costs involved in applying for and qualifying for a tax credit loan can easily add up.
Know your location
The second key factor in determining if you are eligible for low income housing is knowing where your home is located. Most areas of LA have enough affordable rental homes, but not every area has easy access to transportation or services that are needed daily like grocery stores and restaurants.
Some cities offer financial assistance through organizations or programs designed to help individuals pay for rent. It’s important to know what resources exist in your community so you don’t waste your money searching for something that doesn’t exist.
You can also visit government websites such as those of the Federal Government (HUD) and Your State/Local Governments (Rental Assistance Programs) to see if there are any subsidy programs available.
Make a list of your potential locations
The second way to identify if you qualify for low income housing in LA is by looking at whether or not there are any available units within your budget. Most large cities have departments that offer help to people who can’t afford to live in expensive areas, so don’t assume that poor people living close to the beach must be wealthy.
Many times these offices will organize open house events where they invite members of the community to look through apartments with them. This is a great way to see what kinds of places are available to you as an individual and how much money you have to spend.
By searching online directories and resources like the one I mentioned above, you can also find out which neighborhoods most likely have affordable rentals. By exploring those, you’ll get a good feel for whether or not this area is accessible to you.
Connect with your local government
As mentioned before, most cities offer some kind of assistance program or low-income housing options. These are typically through either individual organizations or entire complexes that have open or closed membership.
By actively looking into these programs, you’ll know what resources are available in your area!
Most community development departments, city governments, and other agencies keep information about their services online. You can usually find this info via Google searches or by asking at your town’s public library, department store, or restaurant.
If there’s no clear answer, ask around locally - people often know of good opportunities even if they don’t use them themselves.
Approach low income housing development companies
As mentioned before, there are many ways to approach low-income rental apartment projects. Some of these include talking to current residents in the area, looking up your local non-profit organizations that help with rent or other assistance, contacting landlords directly, and visiting potential buildings several times to check out the environment.
Landlords may not be totally honest with you during your visits so it is important to remember their commitments and what they tell you about the property. Sometimes workers at a business will conceal information or even use fake names when answering questions through interviews or via social media sites.
By using those resources, you can learn some valuable information that could aid you in finding an affordable place to live.
Find out what your building management company is like
Sometimes, even though you’ve done everything correctly, your application is still being rejected or denied due to something that you didn’t know about your apartment complex.
This can be tricky because most people feel intimidated by their own buildings, let alone someone else's!
Fortunately, there are some basic things you can do as a potential tenant to determine if an apartment manager is trustworthy.
You should always do your research before signing anything so here are some tips on how to identify if an apartment owner/manager is legit.