How To Find HUD “Elderly” or “Disabled” Apartments

Art: Robin Mead

HUD has special affordable apartments that are just for people who are either elderly or disabled.

Many of our readers report that they were able to find housing this way that was quite nice, quite affordable, and disability accessible. The waiting lists can also be much shorter than other types of housing. Buildings do vary a lot, though. They are not all nice, and some do not accept children.

Here’s where you can learn a whole bunch more about these apartments, how much is the rent, what they are like, how to apply, and who can apply: How to Find Yourself a Nice, Affordable HUD Apartment

How To Find Apartments

🌷 Below is a list of places where you can find apartments in your area. The more persistent you are, the better the chances are that you will find something. If you make 100 phone calls, you are much more likely to find something available and affordable then if you only make 10 or 20 phone calls. Call everywhere!

🌷 If you are not sure what to say when you call, here is a script of things you can say and questions you can ask.

🌷 You can try emailing or leaving messages, but you may not get a lot of response. Relentlessly calling every day until someone answers seems to work.

🌷 Important: If the building says “elderly” or “seniors” always call and ask if they accept younger people who are disabled. The answer is often “yes.”

Where to Call

We wish we could tell you where you could simply find a list of all elderly or disabled buildings. Unfortunately this list does not seem to exist! The ones that do exist are outdated by many years. Here’s some places to look:

Option One: HUD Map

🌷 Here’s where you can go to the The HUD map and search your area. This map is very comprehensive and very helpful.

🌷 If you select “find elderly and special needs housing” you will be shown only elderly and disabled buildings that are very affordable rent.

🌷 If you select “find housing opportunities near me” you will be shown a selection of many different properties. Some of them will be elderly and disabled buildings and some will not, but this will not be clearly marked. You must call and ask.

Option Two: HUD State List

🌷 Here is a state by state list of elderly and disabled properties

🌷 As you may have guessed by now, this list does not actually include all elderly and disabled properties. It includes about 50%, plus some of the listings have not been updated for more than 10 years.

🌷 Nonetheless, this is still a very good list that can be helpful. 50% is better than none, all apartments on this list will be very affordable, and they also tell you how many apartments are in each location.

🌷 Don’t forget to call everywhere, especially the places marked “senior only” or elderly only”

Option Three: Affordable Housing Online

🌷 Here’s where you can Go to Affordable Housing Apartment Lists to search. You will find a lot of options!

🌷 Type in different zip codes, cities or counties to see surrounding areas.

🌷 Tip: This list is very comprehensive, but some of the places are mislabeled, so it’s not always possible to tell who they will accept and what the rent will be. Call and ask.

Option Four: If You Already Have a Housing Choice Voucher

If you already have a housing choice voucher, many of the places listed above will not be able to accept your voucher, because they are already funded to have Section 8 attached to the apartment.

🌷 One option is to find a Section 8 subsidized apartment you like, and give up your voucher. The rent will be the same as what you pay with your voucher, but if you leave the building, you won’t have Section 8 anymore.

🌷 Another option is to look for buildings labeled “low income tax credit.” These buildings often accept vouchers, and some (but not all) are designated elderly or disabled. The Low Down on Low Income Housing Tax Credit Buildings

Option Five: USDA Apartments

🌷 You can also check the USDA Map.

🌷 They have apartments that are very similar to Section 8 elderly or disabled apartments, but only in rural areas.

Option Six: Housing Authorities

🌷 Housing Authorities sometimes have open wait lists for elderly or disabled buildings. They may also have other kinds of housing options, such as vouchers or housing for all ages.

🌷 Contact all of the Housing Authorities listed below. Make sure to contact each one separately. They may each give you totally different information.

• State housing authority
• City housing authority
• County housing authority
• Housing authority for nearby cities
• Housing authority for nearby counties

Option Seven: More Options

Elderly of disabled buildings tend to have shorter waiting lists. But you do not have to limit yourself to these buildings. There are many other forms of housing out there too!

🌷 If you’d like way more options, take a look here: A Long, Long, Long List of Places You Can Call to Find Affordable Housing

How to Be (Extremely) Persistent 

The more persistent you are, the more opportunities you will find, and the more likely you are to find a place with a shorter waiting list. You do not have to be this persistent. However if you would like to find everything out there, here are some tips:

🌷 Call EVERYWHERE. Make 100 phone calls.

🌷 If it doesn’t mention Section 8, it still might be Section 8. Call and ask how much the rent is.

🌷 Don’t ask “Do you have apartments available?” Instead ask, “Are you accepting applications for your wait list?”

🌷 If the waiting list is closed, call and ask for an estimate of when it will open

🌷 If they can’t tell you when it will open, call back in a few months and ask again

🌷 You can try sending emails or leaving messages if you wish, however there’s a good chance no one will call you back, so some people just keep calling several times a day every day until someone answers

🌷 If you are not on disability, call and ask if you can apply with a doctor’s letter

🌷 If a place doesn’t look nice online, apply anyway. It doesn’t hurt to have options and sometimes the photos online are very misleading.

🌷 Reader’s report: If you find a bunch of places with wait lists of 6-12 months, and apply for them all…. there is a good chance one will open up in less then six months!

🌷 Many of the places you call won’t be available, or won’t turn out to be what you are looking for. Don’t worry. Just keep calling more places.

🌷 Some places will turn out to be more expensive then you were expecting. Don’t worry. Just keep calling. Also, ask if they have any apartments that are subsidized or cheaper (they may have a waiting list for cheaper apartments)

🌷 Try looking in other areas of your state, or even in other states. 

🌷 Get on as many wait lists as you can. You can always move one place now and stay on waiting lists for places you like more. Always upgrade!

Learn More

🌷 Here’s a bunch more info and handy things to know on how Section 8 works: Section 8 Guide for the Plucky and Disabled

🌸 Facebook Group: HUD and Section 8 for People with Disabilities (and family)