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.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) periodically receives "custom tabulations" of Census data from the U.S. Census Bureau that are largely not available through standard Census products. These datasets, known as "CHAS" (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy) data, demonstrate the extent of housing problems and housing needs, particularly for low income households. The primary purpose of CHAS data is to demonstrate the number of households in need of housing assistance. This is estimated by the number of households that have certain housing problems and have income low enough to qualify for HUD’s programs (primarily 30, 50, and 80 percent of median income). CHAS data provides counts of the numbers of households that fit these HUD-specified characteristics in a variety of geographic areas. In addition to estimating low-income housing needs, CHAS data contributes to a more comprehensive market analysis by documenting issues like lead paint risks, "affordability mismatch," and the interaction of affordability with variables like age of homes, number of bedrooms, and type of building.This dataset is a special tabulation of the 2016-2020 American Community Survey (ACS) and reflects conditions over that time period. The dataset uses custom HUD Area Median Family Income (HAMFI) figures calculated by HUD PDR staff based on 2016-2020 ACS income data. CHAS datasets are used by Federal, State, and Local governments to plan how to spend, and distribute HUD program funds. To learn more about the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS), visit: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/cp.html, for questions about the spatial attribution of this dataset, please reach out to us at GISHelpdesk@hud.gov. To learn more about the American Community Survey (ACS), and associated datasets visit: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs Data Dictionary: DD_ACS 5-Year CHAS Estimate Data by County Date of Coverage: 2016-2020

Text source: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/HOME-Income-limits.htmlLanding page description:HOME Income Limits data are available from FY 1998 to the present. The HOME Income Limits are calculated using the same methodology that HUD uses for calculating the income limits for the Section 8 program, in accordance with Section 3(b)(2) of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937, as amended. These limits are based on HUD estimates of median family income, with adjustments based on family size. Please note that the 30 percent income limits for the HOME program have been calculated based on the definition of Extremely Low–Income Family (ELI) as described in Consolidated Submission for CPD Programs section of 24 CFR part 91.5. Therefore, the ELI Limit is calculated as 30 percent of median family income for the area and may not be the same as the Section 8 ELI Limit for your jurisdiction. The Section 8 Limit is calculated based on the definition of ELI as described in The 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act, (Section 238 on page 128 Stat 635) which defines ELI as very low–income families whose incomes do not exceed the higher of the Federal poverty level or 30% of area median income. Family sizes in excess of 8 persons are calculated by adding 8% of the four-person income limit for each additional family member. That is, a 9-person limit should be 140% of the 4-person limit, the 10-person limit should be 148%.The HOME income limit values for large households (9-12 persons) must be rounded to the nearest $50. Therefore, all values from 1 to 24 are rounded down to 0, and all values from 25 to 49 are rounded up to 50.Note: The FY 2024 HOME Income Limits effective date is June 01, 2024.

HOME Income Limits are calculated using the same methodology that HUD uses for calculating the income limits for the Section 8 program. These limits are based on HUD estimates of median family income, with adjustments based on family size. The Department's methodology for calculating nationwide median family income figures is described in Notice PDR-2001-01. For more information about how HUD calculates the HOME Program income limits, visit huduser.gov, the website for HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research, for more general information.

Median family income (MFI) is calculated annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help set income limits that determine eligibility for assisted housing programs. HUD uses the median income from the American Community Survey (ACS) as a baseline and then factors in the national consumer price index and other variables to establish an area MFI. For more information about how HUD calculates this value, please visit: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il.html

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program requires that each CDBG funded activity must either principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons, aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or meet a community development need having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community and other financial resources are not available to meet that need. With respect to activities that principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons, at least 51 percent of the activity's beneficiaries must be low and moderate income. For CDBG, a person is considered to be of low income only if he or she is a member of a household whose income would qualify as "very low income" under the Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments program. Generally, these Section 8 limits are based on 50% of area median. Similarly, CDBG moderate income relies on Section 8 "lower income" limits, which are generally tied to 80% of area median. These data are from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey (ACS). To learn more about the Low to Moderate Income Populations visit: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/acs-low-mod-summary-data/, for questions about the spatial attribution of this dataset, please reach out to us at GISHelpdesk@hud.gov. Data Dictionary: DD_Low to Moderate Income Populations by Block GroupDate of Coverage: ACS 2020-2016

HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) is pleased to announce that Fair Market Rents and Income Limits data are now available via an application programming interface (API). With this API, developers can easily access and customize Fair Market Rents and Income Limits data for use in existing applications or to create new applications. To create an account and get an access token, please visit the API page here: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/dataset/fmr-api.html. 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, Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Section 202 housing for the elderly, and Section 811 housing for persons with disabilities programs. HUD develops income limits based on Median Family Income estimates and Fair Market Rent area definitions for each metropolitan area, parts of some metropolitan areas, and each non-metropolitan county.

HUD Income Limits are collected and published to determine the maximum income a household may earn to participate in certain housing subsidy programs. Home income limits from the year 2019 were used. Median income is developed for each metropolitan area (and applies to all counties in the metro area), and each non-metropolitan area (and is a county level measure). Data was obtained for communities in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. The calculations stem from median family income data provided by the Census and adjusted for certain local conditions.

HOME Rent Limit data are available from FY 1998 to the present. Per 24 CFR Part 92.252, HUD provides the following maximum HOME rent limits. The maximum HOME rents are the lesser of: The fair market rent for existing housing for comparable units in the area as established by HUD under 24 CFR 888.111; or A rent that does not exceed 30 percent of the adjusted income of a family whose annual income equals 65 percent of the median income for the area, as determined by HUD, with adjustments for number of bedrooms in the unit. The HOME rent limits provided by HUD will include average occupancy per unit and adjusted income assumptions. In rental projects with five or more HOME-assisted rental units, twenty (20) percent of the HOME-assisted units must be occupied by very low-income families and meet one of following rent requirements: The rent does not exceed 30 percent of the annual income of a family whose income equals 50 percent of the median income for the area, as determined by HUD, with adjustments for smaller and larger families. HUD provides the HOME rent limits which include average occupancy per unit and adjusted income assumptions. However, if the rent determined under this paragraph is higher than the applicable rent under 24 CFR 92.252(a), then the maximum rent for units under this paragraph is that calculated under 24 CFR 92.252(a). The rent does not exceed 30 percent of the family's adjusted income. If the unit receives Federal or State project-based rental subsidy and the very low-income family pays as a contribution toward rent not more than 30 percent of the family's adjusted income, then the maximum rent (i.e., tenant contribution plus project-based rental subsidy) is the rent allowable under the Federal or State project-based rental subsidy program. Fair Market Rents are established by HUD each year for the Section 8 Program. For more information on the annual calculation of Fair Market Rents, visit the Fair Market Rents page. The FMRs for unit sizes larger than 4 bedroom are calculated by adding 15 percent to the 4 bedroom FMR for each extra bedroom. For example, the FMR for a 5 bedroom unit is 1.15 times the 4 bedroom FMR, and the FMR for a 6 bedroom unit is 1.30 times the 4 bedroom FMR, and so on... 5 BR = 1.15 x 4 BR FMR 6 BR = 1.30 x 4 BR FMR 7 BR = 1.45 x 4 BR FMR 8 BR = 1.60 x 4 BR FMR 9 BR = 1.75 x 4 BR FMR 10 BR = 1.90 x 4 BR FMR 11 BR = 2.05 x 4 BR FMR 12 BR = 2.20 x 4 BR FMR Note: The FY 2024 HOME Rent Limits effective date is June 01, 2024.

Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) Income Limits are used for determining eligibility for HAF funds. HAF funds are used for qualified expenses that assist homeowners having incomes equal to or less than the greater of 150 percent of the area median income for their household size, or the median income for the United States, as determined by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.The Department of the Treasury's Homeowner Assistance Fund provides funds to prevent homeowner mortgage delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures, loss of utilities or home energy services, and homeowner displacement. For more information about the Homeowner Assistance Fund Program, please visit https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/homeowner-assistance-fund

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program requires that each CDBG funded activity must either principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons, aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight or meet a community development need having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community and other financial resources are not available to meet that need. With respect to activities that principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons, at least 51 percent of the activity's beneficiaries must be low and moderate income. For CDBG, a person is considered to be of low income only if he or she is a member of a household whose income would qualify as "very low income" under the Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments program. Generally, these Section 8 limits are based on 50% of area median. Similarly, CDBG moderate income relies on Section 8 "lower income" limits, which are generally tied to 80% of area median. These data are from the 2016-2020 American Community Survey (ACS).To learn more about the Low to Moderate Income Populations visit: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/acs-low-mod-summary-data/ Data Dictionary: DD_Low to Moderate Income Populations by Block Group Date of Coverage: ACS 2016-2020 Data Updated: Every Five Years

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is the most important resource for creating affordable housing in the United States today. The LIHTC database, created by HUD and available to the public since 1997, contains information on 48,672 projects and 3.23 million housing units placed in service since 1987. Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Qualified Census Tracts must have 50 percent of households with incomes below 60 percent of the Area Median Gross Income (AMGI) or have a poverty rate of 25 percent or more. Difficult Development Areas (DDA) are areas with high land, construction and utility costs relative to the area median income and are based on Fair Market Rents, income limits, the 2010 census counts, and 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) data.

This service identifies U.S. Census Tracts in which 51% or more of the households earn less than 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program requires that each CDBG funded activity must either principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons, aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or meet a community development need having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community and other financial resources are not available to meet that need. With respect to activities that principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons, at least 51 percent of the activity's beneficiaries must be low and moderate income.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) periodically receives "custom tabulations" of Census data from the U.S. Census Bureau that are largely not available through standard Census products. These datasets, known as "CHAS" (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy) data, demonstrate the extent of housing problems and housing needs, particularly for low income households.

The primary purpose of CHAS data is to demonstrate the number of households in need of housing assistance. This is estimated by the number of households that have certain housing problems and have income low enough to qualify for HUD’s programs (primarily 30, 50, and 80 percent of median income).

CHAS data provides counts of the numbers of households that fit these HUD-specified characteristics in a variety of geographic areas. In addition to estimating low-income housing needs, CHAS data contributes to a more comprehensive market analysis by documenting issues like lead paint risks, "affordability mismatch," and the interaction of affordability with variables like age of homes, number of bedrooms, and type of building.

This dataset is a special tabulation of the 2016-2020 American Community Survey (ACS) and reflects conditions over that time period. The dataset uses custom HUD Area Median Family Income (HAMFI) figures calculated by HUD PDR staff based on 2016-2020 ACS income data.

CHAS datasets are used by Federal, State, and Local governments to plan how to spend, and distribute HUD program funds. To learn more about the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS), visit: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/cp.html, for questions about the spatial attribution of this dataset, please reach out to us at GISHelpdesk@hud.gov. To learn more about the American Community Survey (ACS), and associated datasets visit: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs Data Dictionary: DD_ACS 5-Year CHAS Estimate Data by Place Date of Coverage: 2016-2020

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) periodically receives "custom tabulations" of Census data from the U.S. Census Bureau that are largely not available through standard Census products. These datasets, known as "CHAS" (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy) data, demonstrate the extent of housing problems and housing needs, particularly for low income households. The primary purpose of CHAS data is to demonstrate the number of households in need of housing assistance. This is estimated by the number of households that have certain housing problems and have income low enough to qualify for HUD’s programs (primarily 30, 50, and 80 percent of median income). CHAS data provides counts of the numbers of households that fit these HUD-specified characteristics in a variety of geographic areas. In addition to estimating low-income housing needs, CHAS data contributes to a more comprehensive market analysis by documenting issues like lead paint risks, "affordability mismatch," and the interaction of affordability with variables like age of homes, number of bedrooms, and type of building. This dataset is a special tabulation of the 2016-2020 American Community Survey (ACS) and reflects conditions over that time period. The dataset uses custom HUD Area Median Family Income (HAMFI) figures calculated by HUD PDR staff based on 2016-2020 ACS income data. CHAS datasets are used by Federal, State, and Local governments to plan how to spend, and distribute HUD program funds. To learn more about the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS), visit: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/cp.html, for questions about the spatial attribution of this dataset, please reach out to us at GISHelpdesk@hud.gov. To learn more about the American Community Survey (ACS), and associated datasets visit: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs Data Dictionary: DD_ACS 5-Year CHAS Estimate Data by State Date of Coverage: 2016-2020

The Housing Affordability Data System (HADS) is a set of files derived from the 1985 and later national American Housing Survey (AHS) and the 2002 and later Metro AHS. This system categorizes housing units by affordability and households by income, with respect to the Adjusted Median Income, Fair Market Rent (FMR), and poverty income. It also includes housing cost burden for owner and renter households. These files have been the basis for the worst case needs tables since 2001. The data files are available for public use, since they were derived from AHS public use files and the published income limits and FMRs. We are providing these files give the community of housing analysts the opportunity to use a consistent set of affordability measures.This data set appears to not be upated after 2013

A Qualified Census Tract (QCT) is any census tract (or equivalent geographic area defined by the Census Bureau) in which at least 50% of households have an income less than 60% of the Area Median Gross Income (AMGI). HUD has defined 60% of AMGI as 120% of HUD's Very Low Income Limits (VLILs), which are based on 50% of area median family income, adjusted for high cost and low income areas.

Analysis of ‘CT Qualified Census Tracts’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/2109deb6-e5d4-4ce8-a4db-49f64db79930 on 27 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

This dataset provides access to Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs) in Connecticut to assist in administration of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds.

The Secretary of HUD must designate QCTs, which are areas where either 50 percent or more of the households have an income less than 60 percent of the AMGI for such year or have a poverty rate of at least 25 percent.

HUD designates QCTs based on new income and poverty data released in the American Community Survey (ACS). Specifically, HUD relies on the most recent three sets of ACS data to ensure that anomalous estimates, due to sampling, do not affect the QCT status of tracts.

QCTs are identified for the purpose of Low-Income Housing Credits under IRC Section 42, with the purpose of increasing the availability of low-income rental housing by providing an income tax credit to certain owners of newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated low-income rental housing projects.

Also included are the number of households from the 2010 census (the “p0150001” variable), the average poverty rate using the 2014-2018 ACS data (the “pov_rate_18” variable), and the ratio of Tract Average Household Size Adjusted Income Limit to Tract Median Household Income using the 2014-2018 ACS data (the “inc_factor_18” variable). For the last variable mentioned in the previous paragraph, the income limit is the limit for being considered a very low income household (size-adjusted and based on Area Mean Gross Income). This value is divided by the median household income for the given tract, to get a sense of how the limit and median incomes compare. For example, if ratio>1, it implies that the tract is very low income because the limit income is greater than the median income. This ratio is a compact way to include the separate variables for the household income limit and median household income for each tract.

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This dataset represents the geospatial extent as polygons and the corresponding attribution for census block groups that meet the definition of low-income communities according to the Virginia 2020 Environmental Justice Act: “Low-income community” definition: “’Low-income community’ means any census block group in which 30 percent or more of the population is composed of people with low income.”

The referenced “low income” definition is also provided below: “Low income” definition: “’Low income’ means having an annual household income equal to or less than the greater of (i) an amount equal to 80 percent of the median income of the area in which the household is located, as reported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and (ii) 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.”Click Here to view Data Fact Sheet.

In 2023, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Metro area in California was ranked first with median household income of 153,202 U.S. dollars. The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area had a median household income of 121,469 U.S. dollars.