HUD Section 202 Senior Housing Locator
Apartment communities built and subsidized exclusively for very-low-income seniors 62 and older — rent capped at 30% of income, often with on-site support services. Find real properties near you through HUD's official locator.
Section 202 is HUD-subsidized housing built exclusively for seniors 62+ with very low income (generally at or below 50% of the area median income for the county). Rent is generally capped at 30% of your adjusted income, and many properties include a service coordinator who connects residents to meals, transportation, or health services. There's no single national waitlist — you apply directly to each property's management office, and HUD doesn't track vacancies centrally. Use the official HUD Resource Locator below to find real properties near you.
Section 202 is one of the least-understood housing programs for seniors, partly because it isn't a voucher you can shop with (like Section 8) — it's a specific set of buildings, and you have to find and apply to them individually. This page explains how the program actually works and gets you straight to HUD's real property search.
Find Section 202 Housing Near You
HUD Resource Locator
Search by address or ZIP code and select "Find Affordable Elderly and Special Needs Housing" to see actual Section 202 and other elderly/special-needs properties near you, with contact information for each.
HUD also maintains a separate Multifamily Property Search if the Resource Locator doesn't show what you're looking for.
Before you apply, know this
- You apply directly to each property's management office — not through HUD
- Every property manages its own waitlist; many are long, and some are temporarily closed to new applicants
- At least one household member must be 62 or older
- Income generally must be at or below 50% of your county's area median income
- Supportive services (meals, transportation, service coordinators) vary by property — not every building offers the same things
Your local Area Agency on Aging often knows which local Section 202 properties have shorter waitlists or are currently accepting applications — worth calling in addition to searching online.
Section 202 works differently from Section 8. A Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) subsidizes rent wherever you choose to live, among landlords who accept vouchers. Section 202 is "project-based" instead — HUD funds nonprofit organizations to build, acquire, or rehabilitate specific apartment buildings reserved exclusively for very-low-income seniors, and the subsidy is tied to that building, not portable to a home of your choosing. That's why finding Section 202 housing means finding actual buildings near you, not applying for a voucher and shopping the open market.
Eligibility comes down to two things: age and income. At least one person in the household must be 62 or older, and household income generally must be at or below 50% of the area median income (AMI) for the county the property is in — HUD's "very low income" threshold. Because AMI varies significantly by geography, the actual dollar cutoff for a one-person household can be very different between a rural county and an expensive metro area, so there's no single number that applies everywhere. Once accepted, residents generally pay 30% of their adjusted income toward rent, with the federal subsidy covering the difference between that and the property's actual cost.
The practical challenge with Section 202 isn't eligibility, it's finding an open unit. HUD doesn't operate a national waitlist or track vacancy across properties — each building manages its own applicant list independently, and long waitlists (sometimes years) or temporarily closed lists are common, especially in high-demand areas. Applying to more than one property, and checking back periodically with ones that appeared closed, genuinely improves your odds. Many properties also offer a service coordinator, a staff member who helps connect residents to meals, transportation, housekeeping assistance, or health services, though exactly what's offered varies building to building rather than being standardized nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is HUD Section 202 housing?
A HUD program that funds nonprofit organizations to build and operate subsidized apartment communities exclusively for very-low-income seniors 62 and older. Residents generally pay 30% of their adjusted income toward rent, with a federal subsidy covering the rest, and most properties offer on-site supportive services to help residents live independently.
Who qualifies for Section 202 housing?
At least one household member must be 62 or older, and household income must generally be at or below 50% of the area median income (AMI) for the county where the property is located — a threshold HUD calls "very low income." The exact dollar cutoff varies significantly by county.
How do I apply for Section 202 housing?
You apply directly to the management office of the specific property, not to HUD centrally. HUD doesn't track vacancies, waitlists, or applications for individual properties — each one manages its own waitlist, and many are long or temporarily closed to new applicants.
What services are included at Section 202 properties?
It varies by property. Many include a service coordinator who connects residents to meals, transportation, housekeeping, or health services, but the specific offerings aren't standardized nationally — check with each property directly.
Is Section 202 the same as Section 8?
No, though both are HUD rental subsidies. Section 8 (Housing Choice Vouchers) subsidizes rent in privately chosen housing of the tenant's choosing, open to various household types. Section 202 is project-based — the subsidy is tied to specific buildings built and reserved exclusively for seniors 62+.
This page provides general information about the Section 202 program and directs users to HUD's official locator tools. It doesn't track live vacancy or waitlist status for any property — HUD itself doesn't maintain that centrally. Income limits are county-specific and set annually by HUD; confirm your exact eligibility with the property manager when you apply.