Depending on where you live in the country, there is a good chance that the apartment rent rates have went up substantially in recent years. Some geographic areas have seen much larger increases than others, but everyone is feeling the pinch as the rents have increased. There are many people who struggle to find affordable housing and may need help. Knowing how to find affordable apartments in your area is an important skill.
Many people who need an affordable apartment just do a quick Google search for affordable apartments. While that may bring up a few options, it is more likely to bring up many more options that are not affordable. This is because the more expensive apartments do a lot to advertise and reach people online who are looking for an apartment. It is important to expand your efforts beyond doing an online search. By casting a wider net you will be more effective at finding affordable apartment options near you.
How to Find Affordable Apartments
Most people who are looking for an apartment to rent want it to be affordable. Few people have an open bank account where they are willing and able to pay whatever the rent happens to be. Below are some options to help you find affordable apartments in the are you live in.
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – As the largest provider of housing assistance in the country, HUD is tasked with helping people to locate and pay for their housing if they have a low income. This is an agency that is part of the federal government. They can provide people with recommendations for affordable apartments in their area. They also provide public housing, which will provide those who qualify with a housing unit owned by the federal government. A voucher program is also available through HUD, which helps people pay for their housing. To qualify for programs that will give you a place to live or help you pay the rent, you have to have a low income and be a citizen or legal non-citizen. Anyone can contact them to get information and referrals to affordable apartments in their area. To get more information, contact the HUD office in your state. To find your state’s HUD office, click here.
Public Housing Authority or Agency – Every state has a housing authority or agency office, as do many larger cities and counties. You can call a housing authority office in your state or geographic area to inquire about recommendations for affordable apartments in your area. They should be able to provide you with a list of options, as well as information about programs that can help when you are struggling financially to pay for your rent. To get more information, click here.
Social Media – Using social media is a great way to find affordable apartments in your area. Facebook especially good for this and many people do use it to share such information. You can post on there, asking if anyone knows of any affordable apartments in the area. You can also join local rental groups and post in there, and read the other posts to see what people are saying is available. Another option is to join groups that are about your local city and post in there to see if anyone has options about affordable housing options.
Council on Aging – Those who are older can contact their local council on aging. They should have a list of local apartments that are more affordable. They maintain referrals and information that will help older people in the area who need help finding affordable places to live, as well as a range of other helpful programs.
Driving Around – One of the best ways to find affordable apartments is to drive around in the area you want to live in. Many apartments are not advertised online. Rather, the apartment complex will put up a “for rent” sign at the apartment building location. This is typically done at apartment complex that are more affordable, because they don’t spend a lot of money on marketing and advertising that they have a unit available. When you drive around, you may find apartments that are available that few people are seeing, since it is not online and most people don’t know to use this method to locate them.
Craigslist – Depending on the area you live in, you may be able to find affordable apartments listed on Craigslist. Some people post affordable apartment listings on the website, which is like a community bulletin board that is filled with free ads that people post. Check out the website every few days, because people can post a new ad at any time. The website is free to use and is available in most cities around the country. To get more information, click here.
Call Around – Look up apartment complexes in your area and call them to see what the rates are. Let them know you are looking for affordable options in the area. If they do not have any available or you feel theirs is not within your budget, they may be able to suggest other local places to you.
Low Income Housing – If you are going to search online for affordable apartments it is a good idea to use the terms “low income apartments near me.” That should help bring up some apartments that are only for those who have a low income. The low income apartment complexes that are out there tend to limit how much money you can make in order to be approved for an apartment. If you earn more than the amount they say then they won’t rent to you. The apartments are only for those who meet their low income guidelines. Often times, these are nice apartment buildings that are in good areas. You just have to search around and ask around to find them. Many people take advantage of living in the low income buildings that are in nice communities with good schools.
