Affordable Housing Programs
FEDERAL PUBLIC HOUSING
The Lowell Housing Authority’s Federal Public Housing Program offers subsidized housing in the agency’s public housing properties, which are owned, and maintained by the Authority.
FEDERAL APPLICATION CHECK APPLICATION STATUS
(You will need your Entity ID from the Leasing Office in order to check your application status.)
HUD is required by law to set income limits that determine the eligibility of applicants for HUD’s assisted housing programs. These income limits are published annually and are based on HUD estimates of median income for a particular area or county, adjusted for family size. The LHA income limits for the public housing program are 80% of the median income. Income Limits | HUD USER
HUD Guidelines require the LHA to establish reasonable occupancy standards for the Public Housing Program. The following are the occupancy standards for the LHA’s Public Housing Program.
| UNIT SIZE (minimum #) | PPL IN HOUSE (minimum #) | PPL IN HOUSE (maximum #) |
| 0 Bedroom | 1 | 2 |
| 1 Bedroom | 1 | 2 |
| 2 Bedroom | 2 | 4 |
| 3 Bedroom | 3 | 6 |
| 4 Bedroom | 4 | 8 |
| 5 Bedroom | 5 | 10 |
The need for public housing in Lowell exceeds the availability of funds for this purpose and a housing unit is a scarce resource which is in great demand. Given these realities, housing is made available to those most in need and reflecting the priorities of the LHA through local preferences, permitted by HUD. HUD also permits the LHA to establish other local preferences at the agency’s discretion. The following are the current preferences, and weights assigned to the preferences established by the LHA for applicant families.
| # | Preference | Weight |
| 1 | Involuntarily displaced from a dwelling unit in the municipality of Lowell by natural disaster, by fire, by unwarranted landlord action and by government action, including capital programs of the LHA | 200 |
| 2 | Working head of household or working spouse, or a person 62 years old or older, or a person unable to work because of the extent of their disability | 185 |
| 3 | A legal resident of Lowell, or a person working in Lowell, or a person with a job offer to work in Lowell | 130 |
| 4 | A victim of domestic violence who has been relocated and as verified by the police | 81 |
| 5 | A veteran as verified by the Department of Veteran Affairs or an individual who has served in any branch of the military and remains in active status | 4 |
| Total Points: 600 |
STATE AIDED PUBLIC HOUSING
State-Aided Public Housing is a state-funded public housing program to serve the housing needs of the Lowell community. The program is administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC). The LHA oversees 198 units of state-aided, project-based housing serving families, the elderly, disabled persons and congregate, and supportive housing.
HUD is required by law to set income limits that determine the eligibility of applicants for HUD’s assisted housing programs. These income limits are published annually and are based on HUD estimates of median income for a particular area or county, adjusted for family size. The LHA income limits for the public housing program are 80% of the median income. Income Limits | HUD USER
HUD Guidelines require the LHA to establish reasonable occupancy standards for the Public Housing Program. The following are the occupancy standards for the LHA’s Public Housing Program.
| UNIT SIZE (minimum #) | PPL IN HOUSE (minimum #) | PPL IN HOUSE (maximum #) |
| 0 Bedroom | 1 | 2 |
| 1 Bedroom | 1 | 2 |
| 2 Bedroom | 2 | 4 |
| 3 Bedroom | 3 | 6 |
| 4 Bedroom | 4 | 8 |
| 5 Bedroom | 5 | 10 |
MASSACHUSETTS RENTAL VOUCHER PROGRAM (MRVP)
The Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) is a state-administered, federal program under HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program, which provides housing assistance to low-income families by offering both tenant-based and project-based rental subsidies. Tenant-based mobile vouchers allow participants to find any housing unit within Massachusetts to utilize their voucher. The amount of rent is determined by the tenant’s income, the size of the household, and geography. Participants in the MRVP program pay the difference between the value of the voucher and the full rent charged by the landlord. Project-based vouchers are assigned to a specific housing unit overseen by the LHA. Project-based participants pay 40% of their gross adjusted income.
HUD is required by law to set income limits that determine the eligibility of applicants for HUD’s assisted housing programs. These income limits are published annually and are based on HUD estimates of median income for a particular area or county, adjusted for family size. The LHA income limits for the public housing program are 80% of the median income. Income Limits | HUD USER
HUD Guidelines require the LHA to establish reasonable occupancy standards for the Public Housing Program. The following are the occupancy standards for the LHA’s Public Housing Program.
| UNIT SIZE (minimum #) | PPL IN HOUSE (minimum #) | PPL IN HOUSE (maximum #) |
| 0 Bedroom | 1 | 2 |
| 1 Bedroom | 1 | 2 |
| 2 Bedroom | 2 | 4 |
| 3 Bedroom | 3 | 6 |
| 4 Bedroom | 4 | 8 |
| 5 Bedroom | 5 | 10 |