Published income limits
Compare your household income with the standard FY2026 MTSP tables for the property’s county.
City of Austin / Travis County Free locating · Licensed Texas brokerage (opens PDF in a new tab)
Austin Tax Credit and SMART Housing Apartments, From North Lamar to Riverside
The City of Austin helps pay for affordable rentals but doesn't take applications for them, so you apply at each property. That's true for tax credit apartments and SMART Housing units alike, and every leasing office handles paperwork a little differently. We sort through those offices for you and point you to the ones worth calling. Tell us about your credit and rental record up front, and we'll point out places likely to say no before you pay to apply. It's free to work with us, so start with our search form.
Find properties in Austin
Ready to build a shortlist? Our Austin affordable housing property directory lists 192 addresses from official LIHTC and HUD assisted records. Search by property name, street or ZIP, filter by reported unit size, and save or print your list.
The directory only covers Austin mailing addresses, so some nearby suburbs aren't in it. These records don't show vacancies, current rents or open applications. Use this guide for local programs and how to apply, then confirm each unit with management.
Your housing search checklist
Get your questions, documents and fee budget ready before you apply.
Official Austin assistance resources
City of Austin renter resources
The city’s contacts for rent and utility help, plus housing search tools and tenant support referrals.
Who it serves: Austin residents. Each program has its own boundaries and rules.
When we checked on October 11, 2026, the city said its I Belong in Austin rent help portal had closed indefinitely. Its last window was in March 2026. Other programs on the page take their own applications and have their own funding.
Austin Affordable Housing Online Search Tool
Search the city's list of income restricted rentals and the limits each one uses.
Who it serves: Income restricted rentals inside the City of Austin.
The tool doesn’t show openings. Call each property to ask.
Sources reviewed 2026-10-11. See statewide assistance and service area notes · Property news and deadline sources
1 to 2 daysWeekday goal for your list
25+ Combined Years in Texas Real Estate
5 Metros Statewide Coverage
$0 Cost to Renters
The problem we solve
Struggling to Find Open LIHTC Units in Austin?
Affordable housing in Texas is split across dozens of housing authorities and hundreds of communities. Each one has its own rules. And you can get stuck for reasons that have nothing to do with whether you qualify.
LIHTC units aren't labeled on listing sites
Zillow, Apartments.com, and Craigslist rarely mark income restricted units or let you filter for them. So you end up cold calling leasing offices, one after another.
Waitlists are a black box
You can't tell which lists are open, how long they are, or if the property even took applications this year. There's no one place to check.
AMI limits change every year
HUD and TDHCA publish new numbers each spring, and they vary by metro and household size. If you qualified last year, you might not this year.
Application fees add up fast
We look up the screening rules first, so you can skip fees at places likely to say no. Fees and deposits follow different rules, so ask what you’d get back if you’re turned down.
Voucher acceptance is hit or miss
Taking vouchers and passing screening are two separate questions. Ask management about the exact unit, and ask your housing agency about approving it. A listing alone doesn’t prove a property takes vouchers.
Income minimums can block renters on a fixed income
Being under a program’s income ceiling doesn’t mean you pass a property’s screening. Ask how management counts your income sources and any rental help.
Programs We Help You Compare
LIHTC (Tax Credit) Apartments
Federal tax credits keep rent below market at these Austin communities.
Learn more
Section 8 Voucher Apartments
Austin communities that say they accept vouchers. Confirm with management.
Learn more
Public Housing
Public housing in the City of Austin and Travis County, plus help with waitlists.
Learn moreHow It Works
- 01
Tell us your basics
Your city, move date, budget and monthly income, plus any rental, credit or background issues. It takes about five minutes. If you have a voucher or need an accessible unit, tell us.
- 02
We start with what you need
We help you compare the income and household size you give us with the published limits, to see which programs might fit. The property or agency makes the final call on whether you qualify.
- 03
We check how you fit
Before you pay any application fee, we hold your credit, background and rental history up against each community’s screening rules. We look those rules up ourselves. Management still decides who passes screening and who gets approved.
- 04
We put together your community list
We aim to send your community list within 24 to 48 weekday hours after you reach out. What we find depends on your needs, each property’s rules and what’s open.
- 05
We help you through lease up
We walk you through applications and waitlists and help you plan your next move. Properties and housing authorities run their own applications and waitlists, and they make the approval calls.
Free · Help Before You Apply
Ready to Stop Guessing About Open Units?
Five minutes. No obligation. We help you sort out where it makes sense to apply.
Why Us
Why Texas Renters Choose a Licensed Locator
You could Google every income restricted community in Texas one by one. Or you could tell us your metro, household size, and income once and let our licensed team do the rest.
01
Free to Renters, Start to Finish
Communities pay our referral fee from their marketing budgets. You don’t pay us a locating fee. Check rent, move-in specials and other charges with management.
02
Licensed Texas Team
You can look up our license on TREC’s official search. We're brokered under Spirit Real Estate Group. We're a team of people, not a directory or a chatbot.
03
Screening Rules, Compared Before You Apply
We look up each community’s credit, background and rental history rules and compare them with your answers before you pick where to apply.
04
Five Metros Covered
Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth. We search all five, based on which communities work with us and what’s open.
05
Honest About Waitlists
We tell you what we hear about which lists are open and how long waits have run. And we’ll say when it makes sense to apply at more than one property.
06
Help Before You Call the Leasing Office
We explain how the search works, compare requirements with you and help you write down questions for the leasing office.
What We've Learned About Affordable Housing in Austin
We help renters find LIHTC, Section 8, and voucher friendly communities anywhere in the Austin metro. We're licensed by TREC, and our team has 25+ combined years in Texas real estate.
Area median income (AMI) in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro runs higher than in most of Texas. A household over San Antonio's 60% limit can still be under Austin's. The city runs its own SMART Housing program too. It's separate from LIHTC, but some buildings use both. And each property still sets its own screening rules.
Travis County has older LIHTC properties along I-35 and newer buildings near the Domain and in Mueller. Garden style complexes along North Lamar and midrise buildings near Riverside Drive can charge different rents even at the same income level. The Austin Housing Authority (formerly HACA) and HATC keep their own waitlists, separate from private LIHTC communities. Knowing which authority runs a property changes how you apply.
Demand keeps climbing as Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, and Del Valle grow. We help you look at communities across the metro, including Wells Branch, Manor, and Kyle. The City of Austin's AHOST search tool only lists income restricted rentals inside Austin, so we track TDHCA properties in the suburbs too.
How an Austin Search Works
The Austin metro covers Travis County plus the suburbs of Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Leander, Kyle, Buda, Manor, and Del Valle. We start by comparing your income with this year’s published limits, and management confirms which table applies. Next we walk you through how to apply with the Austin Housing Authority and HATC, plus LIHTC communities across the metro. Then we look for communities that may fit your income, household size and screening history.
Austin Communities Worth a Look
Your Austin search can take in the Riverside Drive and Domain areas, North Lamar, the I-35 corridor and SMART Housing options around the city. We cover newer communities in Mueller, Wells Branch, and East Austin too. Share your budget and household size and we’ll start your list. We look up the screening rules, and the leasing office can tell you about open units and move-in specials before you pay.
Areas We Cover Around Austin
We cover these nearby cities too:
- Round Rock
- Pflugerville
- Cedar Park
- Leander
- Kyle
- Buda
- Manor
Key Landmarks and Transit
- The Domain / Northside district
- Dell Seton Medical Center at UT
- University of Texas at Austin
- Barton Creek Square Mall
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Drivers lean on I-35 and MoPac (Loop 1), and CapMetro runs buses plus the Red Line train from downtown to Leander.
Austin: The Numbers That Matter
1 to 2 days
Weekday goal for your list939
Addresses in our property directory
5
Metros covered statewide
25+
Combined Years in Texas Real Estate
Your Questions About Income Restricted Apartments in Austin
Which parts of Austin do you cover?
All of Travis County plus Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Leander, Kyle, Buda, Manor, and Del Valle. We cover the whole Austin metro, not just the city limits.
Is Austin's income limit higher than other Texas metros?
Yes. HUD sets AMI by metro, and Austin's is the highest of our five metros, well above San Antonio and Houston. A household of one to three people earning $55,000 is over San Antonio’s 60% limit but under Austin’s. We can help you check your income against the published tables. Management confirms your income and whether you qualify.
Do you cover SMART Housing units?
Yes. SMART Housing is a City of Austin program, separate from federal LIHTC. Some communities are in both programs, some in only one. We keep track of which is which and how the rules for qualifying differ.
What neighborhoods have the most income restricted apartments?
LIHTC communities cluster along I-35, in Mueller and East Austin, and in the neighborhoods around the Domain. Garden style complexes along North Lamar and midrise buildings near Riverside Drive have units too. Suburbs like Round Rock, Pflugerville, and Wells Branch have added units as they've grown.
Can you help if I have a Housing Authority of Travis County voucher?
Yes. HATC and the Austin Housing Authority both issue vouchers. Tax credit properties can't turn you down just for having one, but other landlords get to decide. We keep track of which communities in Travis County and nearby tell us they take vouchers from both authorities.
Where can I find income restricted apartments near me in Austin?
The answer depends on your income, household size, and screening history. We cover LIHTC, Section 8, and SMART Housing communities across the Austin metro. We aim to send your community list within 24 to 48 weekday hours after you reach out. You don't have to call leasing offices one by one.
Nearby Metros Worth a Look
Austin Guides & Resources
Local guides on AMI limits, open waitlists, and communities accepting applications in Austin.
Austin AMI Income Limits & Who Qualifies
How AMI income limits work in the Austin area by household size, and how to tell if you qualify for a 50% or 60% unit.
Read guide →Austin SMART Housing & City Affordability Programs
How Austin's SMART Housing income rules differ from LIHTC, and how to find units that are easy to miss.
Read guide →Austin Property News and Application Deadlines
Application windows and deadlines from official sources, checked before we post them. Confirm any opening with the property.
Read guide →Austin Waitlists: Which Are Open and How Long
Which Austin waitlists tend to open, and how long is the wait? What we've learned about the Austin Housing Authority, plus how to apply at several properties so you're not stuck on one closed list.
Read guide →
Free · Help Before You Apply
Search Income Restricted Apartments in Austin
Free 5 minute intake. We aim to send your community list within 24 to 48 weekday hours after you reach out.