INCOME LIMIT CHART

Click on the link above for the most recent chart of our programs, their eligibility levels and the income limits per family size. This chart includes all of the data defined below which is used to qualify applicants in our various programs. This chart does change often due to the multiple programs being reported.

Income Limits

The majority of our programs are designed to assist the low-income individuals and families within Allegany County. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets income limits that determine eligibility for assisted housing programs including the Public Housing, Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance. These limits are also used for other HUD related programs and sources of funding including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME, NAILS and Neighborhood Stabilization (NSP) programs.

The income limit for an affordable housing program is the maximum amount of income a household can earn to qualify to receive assistance. A household’s income is calculated by its gross income, which is the total income received before taxes or any deductions. HUD develops income limits based on Median Family Income estimates and Fair Market Rent area definitions for each metropolitan area, such as Cumberland and Allegany County.

Area Median Income

The Area Median Income (AMI) is the midpoint of a region’s income distribution – half of families in a region earn more than the median and half earn less than the median. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines and calculates different levels of AMI for geographic areas across the country by household size.

Low-Income Households and Levels of Affordability

Housing Programs are designed to address the various affordable housing needs. Income levels are a way to assess housing affordability. We say that a housing unit is “affordable at 80% of AMI” if a household whose income is at or below 80% of AMI can live there, without spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs. Affordable rents for housing units vary by the number of bedrooms in the housing unit. This is because the income limits vary by household size, and the number of bedrooms affects how many people a unit can comfortably house.
The percentage levels of affordability used for program eligibility are different for our various programs but include:

• • • At or below 30% AMI also referred to as Extremely Low Income
    • At or below 40% AMI for LIHTC Program
    • Between 31 and 50% AMI also referred to as Very Low Income
    • At or below 60% AMI for LIHTC Program
    • Between 51 and 80% AMI also referred to as Low Income
    • Between 81 and 120% AMI Moderate Income