This dataset and map service provides information on the U.S. Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) low to moderate income areas. The term Low to Moderate Income, often referred to as low-mod, has a specific programmatic context within the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Over a 1, 2, or 3-year period, as selected by the grantee, not less than 70 percent of CDBG funds must be used for activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons. HUD uses special tabulations of Census data to determine areas where at least 51% of households have incomes at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI). This dataset and map service contains the following layer.

California State Income Limits reflect updated median income and household income levels for acutely low-, extremely low-, very low-, low- and moderate-income households for California’s 58 counties (required by Health and Safety Code Section 50093). These income limits apply to State and local affordable housing programs statutorily linked to HUD income limits and differ from income limits applicable to other specific federal, State, or local programs.

For source data: https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2023.S1903For HUD income limits: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il.htmlFor more information about this dataset, please contact egis@isd.lacounty.gov

As one of the Moving To Work agencies in the United States, the Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo (HACSM) receives certain waivers from HUD that allow the implementation of a local Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS). The HACSM FSS program was created in 2015 and provides time-limited rental assistance (up to 7 years) and case management services for participating families with the goal of helping the families increase financial self-sufficiency. On an ongoing basis 3 times a year, the FSS coordinators meet with families to assess their needs and record their progress. With the data collected from the assessment, HACSM has expanded partnerships with a variety of educational and financial institutions, work force development and other service providers, ensuring these resources available to the FSS families. A majority of our FSS participants meets their goal to graduate and exit the voucher program in five years but some may need the additional assistance (up to 24 months) to reach educational or vocational goals established in their FSS program. The turnover vouchers allow HACSM to serve new low-income families in the community. The HACSM FSS program includes monetary rewards at graduation. Families that have increased their earned income and savings and completed educational or other goals specified in their FSS Contract of Participation will be rewarded up to $5,000 at the time of successful graduation. Successful graduation is defined as follow: • The household has reached the end of the voucher’s time limit and is not receiving TANF prior to program exit, and • Either head of household, spouse, co-head or any adult member of the household is gainfully employed, or • The household has reached an income level such that HACSM is no longer providing subsidy or they have decided to relinquish their housing voucher before expiration date and have exited the voucher program. The program is designed with five years of rental assistance and case management and can be extended up to seven years on a case-by-case basis. This is important to note because the data shows an increase in FY 2021-22 which is when many of the initial participants were reaching the five to seven year term. Our projected numbers going forward align closer to what was seen in the early years of the FSS program. Also note that in August, 2024 we implemented a new Hardship criteria for extensions of the voucher program for additional assistance (up to 24 months) if the household family's annual gross income is below 80% of AMI and Housing Authority County of San Mateo's utilization rate is below 95%. This explains the estimated number of FSS program participants exiting the voucher program for FY 2024-25 total of 19 (10 actual exits from 7/1/2024 - 12/31/2024 and 9 estimated exits from 1/1/2025 - 6/30/2025) since a high percentage of our families qualify under this criteria.
On an ongoing basis 3 times a year, the FSS coordinators meet with families to assess their needs and record their progress. With the data collected from the assessment, HACSM has expanded partnerships with a variety of educational and financial institutions, work force development and other service providers, ensuring these resources available to the FSS families. A majority of our FSS participants meets their goal to graduate and exit the voucher program in five years but some may need the additional assistance (up to 24 months) to reach educational or vocational goals established in their FSS program. The turnover vouchers allow HACSM to serve new low-income families in the community. The HACSM FSS program includes monetary rewards at graduation. Families that have increased their earned income and savings and completed educational or other goals specified in their FSS Contract of Participation will be rewarded up to $5,000 at the time of successful graduation. Successful graduation is defined as follow: • The household has reached the end of the voucher’s time limit and is not receiving TANF prior to program exit, and • Either head of household, spouse, co-head or any adult member of the household is gainfully employed, or • The household has reached an income level such that HACSM is no longer providing subsidy or they have decided to relinquish their housing voucher before expiration date and have exited the voucher program. The program is designed with five years of rental assistance and case management and can be extended up to seven years on a case-by-case basis. This is important to note because the data shows an increase in FY 2021-22 which is when many of the initial participants were reaching the five to seven year term. Our projected numbers going forward align closer to what was seen in the early years of the FSS program. Also note that in August, 2024 we implemented a new Hardship criteria for extensions of the voucher program for additional assistance (up to 24 months) if the household family's annual gross income is below 80% of AMI and Housing Authority County of San Mateo's utilization rate is below 95%. This explains the estimated number of FSS program participants exiting the voucher program for FY 2024-25 total of 19 (10 actual exits from 7/1/2024 - 12/31/2024 and 9 estimated exits from 1/1/2025 - 6/30/2025) since a high percentage of our families qualify under this criteria.