How to qualify for an income restricted apartment in Texas

The short answer

You don’t qualify for “income restricted housing” in general. You qualify for a specific unit, under that unit’s program. Four checks decide it:

1. Household: who will live in the unit, counted the way the program counts.
2. Income: your household’s income, measured against the right limit table for that unit.
3. Screening: the property’s credit, rental history and other rules. Being under the income limit isn’t the same as being approved.
4. Unit and timing: whether there’s a unit you can rent now, a waiting list or an agency referral.

The unit’s program sets which household rules and income table apply, so ask about the program first. Get the fees, rent and next step in writing before you pay anything.

Start with the unit, not one income number for everyone

“Income restricted” can mean several different things. A tax credit unit, a voucher rental and public housing each have their own application and their own way of setting rent. Ask management for the program name, the unit’s income designation and which income table applies. TDHCA’s income and rent resources explain the limits for each property.

Two units with the same floor plan at the same property can carry different limits. TDHCA’s tenant handout says the property’s agreement sets how many units are leased at each income and rent limit.

Watch for the term “workforce housing.” It’s a label, not one program, and it means different things at different properties and in different cities. Ask management to name the restriction, the income table and the rent.

Count your household the way the program does

• List everyone who would live in the unit.
• Ask how the program counts students, dependents and any live-in aide.
• Use that count to pick your row in the income table. Income limits change with the number of people in the household.

Student households have extra rules at tax credit properties. See our student eligibility guide if anyone in your household is in school.

Find the right income limit table

Picking the right table matters more than any one number in it. Before you compare your income, match these five things:

1. Year: use the current fiscal year. HUD’s FY2026 limits took effect May 1, 2026, a month later than HUD first planned. HUD’s FY2026 statement explains the delay.
2. County: use the county the property is in, not the city where you live now.
3. Program: the standard tax credit table (MTSP) isn’t the table for every Section 8, HOME or local program. HUD publishes separate HOME income limits, for example.
4. Household size: for income, use the row for your household size. Rent limits by bedroom count are a different question.
5. Designation: find the column for the unit’s designation, such as 50% or 60%.

Then ask which limits the property uses: standard, HERA Special or hold harmless. Some properties don’t use the standard table.

Use a table that names its source

Our published income comparison shows the data year, effective date and source. It has plain tables for Travis, Bexar, Harris, Dallas and Tarrant counties. Its standard 50% and 60% figures come from HUD’s MTSP dataset. We link to the live tool, since numbers copied into an article can go out of date.

Don’t work out a limit from an advertised median. TDHCA has limit tools for individual properties, plus tenant handouts. Published limits can include program rules that go past multiplying a median by a percentage. So if an ad says “60% AMI,” ask for the table that applies to that unit instead of doing the math in your head.

Show your income the way the property will count it

• Ask for the document list. Report every source they ask about, accurately.
• Management decides what income counts. A calculator can’t certify it.
• If your income goes up and down, ask how they verify it. One recent bank deposit doesn’t show your yearly income.
• Make a private list of what you have and what is missing.
• Before you share your ID, financial records or benefits information, confirm the official way to send them.
• If you can’t get a document, ask the provider what else they’ll accept. Never change a record to make it fit.

Screening is a separate check

We look at each community’s credit, rental history and other screening rules before we add it to your matches. The property still makes the final call. You can be under the income limit and still have screening or paperwork issues to sort out. Our screening guide covers what to ask before you pay an application fee.

If you’re over a limit or the answer is no

Ask which check failed and get the reason in writing. That tells you what to work on next. If a screening report was behind the decision, you may have notice and dispute rights, and CFPB explains them.

Being over the standard 60% figure in a calculator doesn’t rule out all income restricted housing. But it doesn’t prove there’s a suitable unit nearby with a higher designation either. And a closed waiting list doesn’t mean you’re ineligible. Here’s how to keep searching:

• Ask about the actual program and designation of each unit you’re offered. Don’t rely on a generic income band.
• Don’t assume a building financed with bonds takes higher incomes. Check the unit’s own table.
• Look at other unit types, programs or areas only if they work for your household.
• Compare rent, utilities and what the commute really costs, all together. A cheaper address that means another car or a care schedule that won’t work may not help your budget.
• Check market rate quotes the same way. Ask for the normal rent after specials, plus required fees and lease terms.
• Keep one full cost worksheet for both restricted and market rate options.

We’re happy to talk through a community search with you, though we can’t promise there’s a restricted unit open at a higher income level. Tell us about your housing needs.

Take your result to the property

Write down the county, year, household size row and designation you used. Ask the compliance staff to confirm the right table and how they count your income. Your own math is a question to bring them. It isn’t proof you qualify, and it isn’t a rent quote.

Start with our published income comparison, and use the housing search checklist to keep the application organized. To learn how rent works once you qualify, read our guide to Texas tax credit apartments. For other help with rent and bills, see Texas housing assistance.

Local application steps by city: Austin · San Antonio · Houston · Dallas · Fort Worth.