AI Search Pilot | Boston.gov

Skip to Main Content

An official website of the City of Boston.

Annual Census

/

State law requires the City to complete an annual census to update voter and jury rolls. Click the link to learn more and complete your census.

Learn More

How can I learn about affordable housing?

The City of Boston has many ways to help you learn about affordable housing. You can find guides online that explain different types of affordable housing and how to apply for them. There's also a special website called Metrolist where you can search for affordable homes.

Metrolist: This is Boston's main place to find income-restricted housing. Income-restricted housing means the price is kept low, and there are rules about how much money you can make to live there. You can search for listings and learn about how to qualify.
- To qualify for income-restricted housing, you need to show how much money you earn and what you own. This is called proving your income and assets.
- Some homes might also have special rules, like being for veterans or seniors.
Online Guides: The City has a full guide to affordable housing on its website. This guide helps you understand things like:
- Different kinds of affordable housing, such as vouchers, which are like coupons to help pay rent, and homes you can buy that are affordable.
- How to apply for these homes.
- What you need to get ready to apply.
Mayor's Office of Housing: This office helps people find and keep stable, safe, and affordable homes. They offer information on many housing topics.
Office of Housing Stability: This office helps people find and keep stable, safe, and affordable housing. You can get free legal advice from them.
Other Resources: You can also find other places to search for affordable housing, like MassHousing, MassAccess Housing Registry, and HUD low-rent apartment search. Some groups like Action for Boston Community Development and Homestart also offer workshops and help with housing searches.

You can find links to relevant pages and more information through the search results below.

Was this helpful?

SEARCH RESULTS

Help With Housing

https://www.boston.gov/help-housing

Metro Housing | Boston Search through a list of affordable rental apartments in Greater Boston. HUD low-rent apartment search The federal government keeps a database of affordable Mass. apartments. Action for Boston Community Development The nonprofit holds regular "Housing 101" housing search workshops.

How the City Creates Affordable Housing

https://www.boston.gov/departments/housing/how-city-creates-affordable-housing

How the City Creates Affordable Housing | Boston.gov Skip to Main Content City of Boston Main menu Help / 311 Home Guides to Boston Departments Public Notices Pay and apply Business Support Events City of Boston News View City Projects Newsletters Places Back|t Cemeteries Community centers Historic Districts Libraries Neighborhoods Parks and playgrounds Schools Government Back|t City Clerk City Council Elections Boards and commissions City government overview Feedback Jobs and careers The Mayor's Office Boston.gov An official website of the City of Boston. Here's how you know Official websites use .boston.gov A .boston.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the City of Boston. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

How the Mayor’s Office of Housing Can Help

https://www.boston.gov/how-mayors-office-housing-can-help

Metro Housing | Boston Search through a list of affordable rental apartments in Greater Boston. HUD low-rent apartment search The federal government keeps a database of affordable Mass. apartments. Action for Boston Community Development The nonprofit holds regular "Housing 101" housing search workshops.

New online tools to expand access to affordable housing

https://www.boston.gov/news/new-online-tools-expand-access-affordable-housing

"We know creating and maintaining affordable housing in Boston is crucial for our residents. It's critical every Bostonian who needs affordable housing knows where to look for it, how to apply for it, and use the City's resources to help them through the process," said Mayor Walsh. "I appreciate the work the Department of Neighborhood Development, the Office of Fair Housing and Equity, and the Boston Planning and Development Agency have done to streamline our processes and information to make housing more accessible to those that need it." Residents can now find a complete guide to affordable housing on the City's website. This new guide helps residents understand the different types of affordable housing available in Boston, including vouchers, income-restricted rentals, single-room occupancy units and affordable homeownership opportunities. It lays out in simple terms how Bostonians can apply for income-restricted housing, and explains what residents need to prepare to qualify for and apply for different types of housing units.

Income-restricted housing

https://www.boston.gov/income-restricted-housing-guide

Calculate your eligibility: You can enter some simple details into the Eligibility Estimator to help you determine what housing you're likely to qualify for: Estimate your eligibility Area Median Income table Each agency calculates AMI slightly differently. Our AMI estimator uses the following Area Median Income thresholds (updated 6/26/24). View the full dataset.