Types of Low-Income Housing
If you are homeless or struggling to maintain stable housing, there are resources available to help you secure temporary or permanent housing. Some of these services are targeted specifically at veterans, people suffering with mental illnesses, or people in recovery.
Many of these programs have either eligibility requirements based on income or sobriety and some programs will require you to adhere to certain expectations once you are housed—such as community work and random drug testing.
Due to a shortage of funding as well as affordable housing and beds, these programs may not always have the capacity to assist you right away and you may be put on a waiting list. For more information on where you can stay in the meantime, check Emergency shelters availability.
*Some of the programs require you to be referred through The Coordinated Assessment and Referral System (CARS) which is the referral system from which all federally-funded homeless housing programs must receive their clients from. For more information, click here.
Temporary or Transitional Housing
Project Based Housing
Project-based housing is a program that provides rental housing to low-income households in privately owned rental units. The subsidy is with the location, so if you move out you will no longer receive rental assistance.
*Rents are dependent on income.
295 Main Street Suite 100, Salinas (831) 757-6251
http://www.chispahousing.org/rentals/
- Affordable apartments for rent in Monterey, Carmel Valley, Marina, Hollister, Salinas, Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, King City, Castroville, and Watsonville
- Units in Monterey, Marina, Hollister, and Salinas are reserved for seniors and disabled persons
- Onsite educational and recreational programs for the residents in our rental properties.
- Home ownership opportunities for very low and low and moderate-income families
- Waiting list of 1-3 years
- To obtain a housing application, you must call each property directly. The manager can answer questions regarding apartment availability, rent, income requirements or restrictions, and how to obtain a housing application.
- To check all Eden’s properties Click here
123 Rico Street, Salinas (831)-775-5000
https://hamonterey.org/hcv-section-8/applicants/
- Project-Based Vouchers are a component of HACM’s Housing Choice Voucher Program. Under the project-based program, the Housing Authority enters into an assistance contract with the landlord for specified units and for a specified term. The Housing Authority refers families from the waiting list to the project landlord to fill vacancies.
- Locations in Monterey, Gonzales, Salinas, King City, Greenfield, Castroville, Marina, and Chualar.
123 Rico Street, Salinas (831)-775-5000
https://www.midpen-housing.org
- Project-Based Vouchers are a component of HACM’s Housing Choice Voucher Program. Under the project-based program, the Housing Authority enters into an assistance contract with the landlord for specified units and for a specified term. The Housing Authority refers families from the waiting list to the project landlord to fill vacancies.
- Locations in Monterey, Gonzales, Salinas, King City, Greenfield, Castroville, Marina, and Chualar.
- Open to single individuals and couples who are Project Roomkey and City of Salinas residents.
- Must go through CARS for referral. For more information, click here.
Rapid Rehousing (Temporary Rental Assistance)
Rapid Rehousing is an intervention designed to help individuals and families that don’t need intensive and ongoing supports to quickly exit homelessness and return to permanent housing. Typical Rapid Rehousing components include deposit, the first month or last month rent, with rental assistance up to a defined number of months.
318 Cayuga Street Suite 208, Salinas
(831) 757-2968
http://www.cccil.org
- Must be referred through CARS
- For persons with a disability that is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
- Deposit assistance, short term rental assistance, moving cost, utility payment assistance
- To apply: Contact CCCIL to schedule an appointment and provide an ID, Social Security Card, Proof of Income, and 3 Day Notice or Lease (if applicable), and attend an appointment with your case manager and be prepared to collaborate.
1111 San Felipe Road Suite 206, Hollister
(831) 638-4180
https://hhsa.cosb.us
- Must be referred through CARS
- Must be a San Benito County Emergency Shelter client to qualify
- Provides financial assistance with deposits and up to 6 months of rent.
60 W. Market Street, Suite 130, Salinas
(831) 424-9186
https://www.hrcmontereycounty.org
- Must be CalWorks or CalFresh eligible and referred by the Monterey County Department of Social Services.
- Financial assistance with rapid re-housing or those at risk of homelessness
- In some cases will assist with utilities
40 Bonifacio Plaza, Monterey
(831) 375-1184
https://www.vtcmonterey.org/apply-ssvf/
- Must be referred through CARS
- For veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
- Short-term financial assistance with rent, moving expenses, security & utility deposits, utility costs, and emergency expenses.
Housing Vouchers
The Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV), formerly known as “Section 8”, assists very low-income households (single or family), the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market.
Participants who receive vouchers search for their own housing, which may include single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments, or even the family’s present residence. HCV assistance is portable anywhere in the United States.
Provided the housing they select meets the requirements of the program, the housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by the Housing Authority (HA) on behalf of the family.
Housing Authority Monterey County, 123 Rico Street, Salinas (831) 775-5000
Santa Cruz Housing Authority (For San Benito County), 2160 41st Avenue, Capitola (831) 464-0170
- Provides a rent subsidy directly to the landlord for low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled. Your rent is 30% of your income and the housing voucher covers the rest of the cost.
- Vouchers can be used anywhere in the United States but you cannot share a unit with anyone not on a voucher (I.e. a room in a house).
- A suitable unit must be found within at or below Fair Market Rent and pass inspections by the housing authority. The landlord must also be willing to work with the housing authority.
- Housing choice vouchers often have a long waiting period. Your place on the waitlist is based on your priority. To find out if the waitlist is open Check here
Dorothy’s Place, 30 Soledad St, Salinas, CA (Walk-ins only)
Central Coast Center for Independent Living (CCCIL), 318 Cayuga Street, Suite 208, Salinas (831) 757-2968
CSUMB Community Health Engagement (CHE), 22 Soledad St., Salinas (831) 770-1700
Housing Resource Center, 60 W. Market St., Salinas (831) 424-9186
- These housing choice vouchers are distributed through the agencies above to homeless clients.
- One year of case management is provided by referring agency
- The vouchers must follow Housing Authority eligibility guidelines.
- Veterans Transition Center of Monterey County, 220 12th Street, Martinzez Hall, Marina (831) 883-8387
- Housing choice vouchers that are set aside for homeless veterans, particularly chronically or long term homeless vets
- Veterans who receive these vouchers must follow the Housing Authority eligibility requirements and guidelines for housing choice vouchers