HUD HCV Guidebook § 4
Income Limits (HUD HCV Guidebook)
Operative Text
HUD establishes income limits by family size for the area in which each PHA is located. These income limits
are used to determine the family’s eligibility for the program and are published annually in a HUD Notice and
are generally effective on the date of publication. The income limits are available on HUD USER website.
To be eligible for the program, a family must18 be either very low income (generally 50% of area median
income); OR low-income (generally 80% of area median income) and meet one of the following additional
criteria:
• Continuously assisted under the public housing, housing choice voucher, project-based rental
assistance, or other housing program under the Housing Act of 1937. Non-purchasing households in
the following homeownership programs: HOPE 1, HOPE 2, or other HUD-assisted multifamily home
ownership programs covered under 24 CFR § 284.173;
• Displaced as a result of the prepayment of a mortgage or voluntary termination of a mortgage
insurance contract on “eligible low-income housing,” as defined in 24 CFR § 248.101. Note that
these displaced families are also eligible if they have moderate income (between 80 and 95 percent
of median area income).
• A criterion set by the PHA to address essential local housing needs. For example, a PHA may
administer its HCV program in a jurisdiction that offers locally-funded assisted housing to low-income
families. The PHA may include a policy in its administrative plan stating the low-income limit will be
applied when determining income eligibility for families transitioning from locally-funded assisted
housing.Under HUD Housing Choice Voucher Guidebook § 4, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sets income limits by family size for each local area, publishing them annually. To qualify for the Housing Choice Voucher program, a household generally must fall at or below 50% of the area median income ("very low income"), though households at or below 80% of area median income ("low-income") may also qualify if they meet specific additional criteria—such as being continuously assisted under a prior HUD housing program, being displaced due to certain mortgage prepayments or terminations, or meeting a locally defined criterion established by the Public Housing Authority. In limited circumstances, households with moderate incomes between 80% and 95% of area median income may also be eligible if they were displaced from eligible low-income housing.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under HUD Housing Choice Voucher Guidebook § 4, Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) apply HUD-published income limits when screening applicants for voucher eligibility, and those limits are updated annually. Property owners who participate in the HCV program generally rely on the PHA's eligibility determination rather than independently verifying income limits, but understanding the framework—very low income at 50% AMI, low-income at 80% AMI, and narrow moderate-income exceptions—helps operators anticipate the tenant pool. PHAs may also adopt local criteria in their administrative plans, so operators working across multiple jurisdictions may encounter slightly different eligibility thresholds depending on the administering PHA.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
HUD Housing Choice Voucher Guidebook § 4 establishes the income thresholds that determine whether a household can participate in the voucher program, and those limits are recalculated and published by HUD each year. Households that believe they meet the very low income (50% AMI), low-income (80% AMI), or qualifying moderate-income displacement criteria can check current limits on the HUD USER website or contact their local PHA directly. If a household feels it was incorrectly deemed ineligible based on income, tenant-rights organizations and legal aid providers can help clarify how the applicable limits were applied and what options may be available.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 26, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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