Income Limits for Tax Credit properties are used in determining a household’s eligibility for certain Housing Authority-owned rental properties.  These units may include households with income at 60% of AMI.

Income Limits for Section 8 properties are established for Santa Clara County by HUD. These limits are used in determining a household's eligibility for certain Housing Authority programs, such as HCV, Project-Based Assistance and Shelter Plus Care.  These programs serve Very-low income (50% of Area Median Income [AMI]) and below.  For some programs, at least 75% of new admissions must be Extremely-low income (30% of AMI) households.

Voucher Payment Standards* (VPS) are used in determining the maximum allowable rent and the amount of subsidy provided to each tenant under the HCV Program. The VPS are based on the Fair Market Rents established by HUD.

Fair Market Rents* (FMR) are established for Santa Clara County by HUD. Currently, FMRs are used for the Project-Based Voucher Program.

Utility Allowances (UA) are used in determining the tenant's portion of rent under several Housing Authority programs. The tenant's portion of rent must include rent and utilities, therefore a utility allowance schedule has been established by the Housing Authority using local market utility costs as the basis.

*The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets the maximum rents (Fair Market Rents and Voucher Payment Standards) for all housing authorities across the nation. As the market warrants it, the Housing Authority has advocated for these rent ceilings to be increased in the County of Santa Clara to help make the Section 8 Program an appealing option for property owners.