What Is Area Median Income (AMI)? A Housing Help Guide
AMI is the middle income for your area, set by HUD each year. See how it sets Section 8, public housing, LIHTC and HOME limits for your family size.
KPCB Staff · Oct 21, 2026
15 guides
Housing
Guides to affordable housing help: Section 8, public housing, tax credit apartments, disability and senior housing, and what to do if you need a place now.
Check what you may qualify for 
Affordable housing help comes from several programs, and they work differently. Section 8 vouchers let you rent from a private landlord. Public housing is owned and run by a housing agency. Tax credit apartments are privately owned buildings with capped rents. Some programs are only for older adults or for people with disabilities. Our comparison of public housing and Section 8 is the best place to start if you are not sure which one fits.
Most programs use HUD's income limits, which are set for each area and household size. What area median income means explains where those limits come from, and our income limit lookup shows the numbers for your county.
If you need somewhere to stay now, the waiting lists will not move fast enough. Start with emergency housing options or steps to take if you are facing homelessness, which begin with calling 211.
Applying for these programs is free, and no agency or website can move you up a list for a fee. Each guide links to the official source, and only the program's own agency can decide whether you qualify.
Guides
Everything on Housing
PHA Pre-Application: How to Get on a Housing Waiting List
What a housing authority pre-application asks, how to fill it out, what happens after you submit it, and how to keep your place on the waiting list.
KPCB Staff · Jul 1, 2025
Section 811 Housing for People With Disabilities: How to Apply
Section 811 helps very low-income adults with disabilities rent affordable homes. See who qualifies, how rent is set, and how to apply for free.
KPCB Staff · Sep 9, 2021
Rent to Own: How It Works, the Risks, and Section 8 Rules
How rent-to-own homes work, what option fees and rent credits are, the risks to check before you sign, and how Section 8 voucher rules apply.
KPCB Staff · Apr 8, 2021
Facing Homelessness? Steps to Take Today for Shelter and Help
Who to call first if you are losing your home or have nowhere to stay tonight: 211, your local homeless help line, shelters, eviction help and hotlines.
KPCB Staff · Jan 21, 2021
HUD Housing Programs for People With Disabilities
Which HUD programs help people with disabilities pay rent, who qualifies for Mainstream vouchers, Section 811 and public housing, and how to apply free.
KPCB Staff · Nov 1, 2020
Does Section 8 Check Your Credit? Credit Scores and Rental Help
How credit affects Section 8 and public housing, what landlords can check, whether applying hurts your score, and how to fix errors on your reports.
KPCB Staff · Nov 1, 2020
Section 8 Income Eligibility: How to Check If You Qualify
See how Section 8 income limits work, what counts as income, how to look up the limit for your area, and how your share of the rent is figured.
KPCB Staff · Oct 27, 2020
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Apartments: How to Qualify
How LIHTC apartments work for renters: income limits, how the rent is capped, how to find properties near you, and using a Section 8 voucher.
KPCB Staff · Oct 23, 2020
Section 8 Housing Guide: How Vouchers Work and Who Qualifies
What Section 8 is, how the voucher splits your rent, who qualifies, what you pay, and how long it takes, with links to the official HUD tools.
KPCB Staff · Sep 4, 2020
Benefits of Affordable Housing, Who Qualifies and How to Apply
See what HUD affordable housing programs give you, from rent tied to your income to the right to a hearing, plus who qualifies and how to apply for free.
KPCB Staff · Aug 26, 2020
The Steps to Section 8: How to Apply and Get a Voucher
Step-by-step guide to Section 8: who qualifies, how to apply through your housing authority, the waiting list, using your voucher and keeping it.
KPCB Staff · Aug 26, 2020
Public Housing vs. Section 8: Differences and How to Apply
How public housing and Section 8 vouchers differ in rent, where you live, and moving, plus who qualifies, how to apply for free, and background checks.
KPCB Staff · Aug 26, 2020
Emergency Housing and Emergency Section 8: Where to Get Help Now
Need a place to stay tonight? Call 211, reach your local homeless help line, and learn how Section 8 priority and emergency vouchers work.
KPCB Staff · Aug 26, 2020
How to Add Someone to Your Section 8 Voucher, Step by Step
How to get a spouse, partner, child or relative added to your Housing Choice Voucher: who approves it, what to bring, and how it changes your rent.
KPCB Staff · Aug 25, 2020
From the archive
Where these programs began
Public-domain photographs from the history of these programs.
