Voucher Limits

Your Housing Specialist will tell you what your gross rent limit is. This is the maximum you can pay for rent and utilities.

Gross rent = Contract rent + Utility allowance

If the gross rent is more than your gross rent limit, we cannot approve your move.

You can rent a unit larger (more bedrooms) than your voucher if it is within your rent limit.

If you want to rent a unit smaller (fewer bedrooms) than your voucher, your rent limit will be lower. Please contact your Housing Specialist if you want to rent a smaller unit.

Gross Rent Limit

Gross rent limit is based on the payment standard for your voucher size (number of bedrooms).

• If you have no income, your gross rent limit is the payment standard.
• If you have verified income, your gross rent limit is the payment standard plus 10% of your Monthly Adjusted Income.

Voucher Size (Number of bedrooms)

Your Housing Specialist will determine your voucher unit size based on the following policies:

• There will be one bedroom for each two people in the household. 
  • People of different generations will be allotted separate bedrooms.
  • People of different genders (except spouses/partners), 6 years of age and older, will be allotted separate bedrooms.
  • Two siblings under the age of 6, of any gender, will be allotted one bedroom.
• Foster children will be included in determining unit size only if they will be in the unit for more than six months.
• Live-in-aides will be allocated a separate bedroom. No additional bedrooms are provided for the attendant's family.
• Single-person families will have one bedroom.
• A family that consists of a pregnant person, with no other people, will be treated as a two-person family.

Payment Standards

Utility Allowances

Use these charts to determine the Utility Allowance for the unit you want to rent.

These are average estimates for utility payments. Your actual payments may be different.