All About Affordable Housing

Here are answers to common questions about affordable housing.

What is affordable housing?

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), you should not pay more than 30 percent of your income for rent.

There are many nonprofit organizations that develop "affordable" housing to sell and rent to people who earn below a certain amount of money and cannot afford to pay "market rates" for housing (this is the average price that housing in your area goes for).

How do I find affordable housing?

There is not enough affordable housing in San Jose for all of the people who need it so it can take a long time to find a place that you can afford. And, you need to meet the requirements for the place you want to rent.

Get a list of nonprofit organizations that rent affordable housing in San Jose (you can contact them to find out if they have any units open).

Get a list of shelters in San Jose.

What is a waiting list?

Because there’s not enough affordable housing for everyone who needs it, organizations have waiting lists that you put your name on. Then, when an apartment opens up and you’re next on the waiting list, you get to apply for the apartment before anyone else.

A "closed" waiting list is one that is not accepting new people on the list. If the waiting list is closed, call the organization at least monthly to see if a spot has opened up on the list.

How can I be sure they keep me on the waiting list?

Once you have given your application, let the property manager know if you move or change your phone number. Some places ask you to call or write to the manager every six months to let them know you still want to stay on the waiting list. You may want to keep this on your calendar so that you know when you need to call or write.

How do organizations pick who rents the apartment if there’s no waiting list?

Most organizations use a lottery system to select residents for open units. A lottery makes sure that you have the same chance of being chosen as anyone else who applied for the apartment (and it doesn’t matter when you applied).

But organizations also consider things like where you’re moving from and how much money you make.