Cambridge Housing Authority section 8 income limit 2024: 1-person households

Last updated 2026-07-09

What is the Cambridge Housing Authority Section 8 income limit for 1 person in 2024?

For a single-person household in Cambridge, the 2024 Section 8 income limit is $72,550 at the very-low level and $43,550 at the extremely-low level. Those are HUD's numbers, not the housing authority's, and they took effect May 1, 2024.

The Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) runs the federal Housing Choice Voucher program, which most people still call Section 8. It uses HUD income limits that HUD rebuilds every year. Cambridge falls inside the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA HUD Metro FMR Area, so the whole metro shares one set of limits. ^[1]

Here are the 2024 thresholds for one person:

Income Category	% of Area Median Income	1-Person Limit (FY2024)
Extremely Low Income	30% AMI	$43,550
Very Low Income	50% AMI	$72,550
Low Income	80% AMI	$116,050

The number that opens the door is the Very Low Income limit: $72,550 for one person. ^[1] But there's a catch. Federal law (42 U.S.C. § 1437f) requires each PHA to hand at least 75% of its new vouchers to households at or below the Extremely Low Income line, which for a single person is $43,550. ^[2] So if you're applying alone, you'll almost certainly need income under $43,550 to have a real shot when a waitlist opens.

These numbers sit on top of an area median income near $145,100 for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro in 2024. Cambridge is one of the most expensive rental markets in the country, and the AMI shows it.

When did the 2024 Cambridge Section 8 income limits take effect?

The FY2024 limits took effect May 1, 2024. HUD refreshes income limits once a year, and every PHA has to switch to the current figures on that date. ^[1]

If your income used to sit above the 2023 limit but lands below the 2024 one, you could become eligible starting May 1. It's worth rechecking.

Here's the part people miss. If you applied to the CHA waitlist before May 1, 2024, your eligibility gets checked when your name reaches the top, not on the day you applied. Your income can move between now and then. The limits can move too. Both matter.

How does HUD calculate the income limit that Cambridge has to use?

HUD starts with American Community Survey (ACS) data from the Census Bureau, then runs it through its own statistical model to estimate the median family income (MFI) for each metro. ^[3] Cambridge sits inside the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which HUD treats as one metro for income limits.

The 50% AMI limit for a single person is more than half the 4-person MFI. HUD adjusts the 4-person figure down using a household-size factor. For one person that factor is 0.70, so a single person's very-low limit equals 70% of what the 4-person limit would be at the same AMI percentage. ^[3] HUD also layers on high-cost adjustments and floors that keep limits from dropping below a statutory minimum. That's why Boston-area numbers run so far above the national average.

The high limits aren't a mistake, and they aren't a gift to applicants. They mean rents in Cambridge are steep enough that someone earning $60,000 to $70,000 can still be housing-cost-burdened by federal math.

Does the Cambridge Housing Authority use any local adjustments on top of HUD's limits?

No. Every PHA has to use HUD's published income limits as the eligibility ceiling. They can't set a stricter local cap below HUD's figure, and they can't admit households above it. ^[4] Cambridge follows HUD's limits straight.

What CHA does control is its waitlist preferences. CHA gives priority to Cambridge residents, people who are homeless, and people with disabilities, among others. ^[5] Preferences don't touch the income limit, but they decide who actually reaches the top first. A single person earning $42,000 with a Cambridge residency preference will usually move faster than someone earning $40,000 with no local tie.

Check the Cambridge Housing Authority's official waitlist page for the current preference list. PHAs can revise preferences with HUD approval, and those changes rarely make the news.

What counts as income when CHA determines whether a 1-person household qualifies?

HUD's definition of annual income is wide. It counts wages, salaries, tips, overtime, commissions, Social Security (before Medicare deductions), SSI, pensions, disability payments, alimony, child support, unemployment, net self-employment income, and interest and dividends. ^[4]

A few things get left out. Excluded items include earned income of full-time students who aren't the household head or spouse, income of live-in aides, and certain foster care payments. ^[4] The full list lives in 24 CFR Part 5, Subpart F.

For a single applicant, the test is simple arithmetic. Add up your gross annual income from every source and compare it to $72,550 (Very Low) or $43,550 (Extremely Low). Above $72,550, you're out. Between $43,550 and $72,550, you're technically eligible but likely deprioritized under the 75% rule.

CHA verifies income through third-party sources, including the federal Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system, which pulls wage and benefit data from Social Security and HHS databases. ^[6] Self-reported numbers that don't match EIV get flagged.

How does the 1-person limit compare to other household sizes in Cambridge in 2024?

The limits climb with household size. Here's the full FY2024 table for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro, both tiers:

Household Size	Very Low (50% AMI)	Extremely Low (30% AMI)
1 person	$72,550	$43,550
2 persons	$82,900	$49,750
3 persons	$93,250	$55,950
4 persons	$103,550	$62,150
5 persons	$111,850	$67,150
6 persons	$120,150	$72,100
7 persons	$128,450	$77,050
8 persons	$136,750	$82,000

Source: HUD FY2024 Income Limits, Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA HUD Metro FMR Area ^[1]

A single person's $72,550 cap is exactly 70% of the 4-person limit of $103,550, the standard HUD ratio. The gap between Extremely Low and Very Low for one person runs almost $29,000. That's a wide band, but most new vouchers still land at the bottom of it by statute.

Is the Cambridge Housing Authority Section 8 waitlist open in 2024?

As of mid-2024, the CHA general Housing Choice Voucher waitlist was closed to new applicants. ^[5] It has stayed closed for long stretches because demand dwarfs the supply of vouchers.

CHA opens a lottery-based waitlist now and then. When it does, the announcement shows up on the CHA website and through the city of Cambridge's official channels.

If you want an open list today, the open Section 8 waiting lists page tracks PHAs across Massachusetts and the rest of the country that are accepting applications right now. Being income-eligible for Cambridge doesn't lock you into CHA. Vouchers are portable. Once you get one from any Massachusetts PHA, you can use it in Cambridge if you find a landlord and a unit that passes inspection.

The housing choice voucher program overview walks through how portability works if you want to move a voucher from another PHA into Cambridge.

What rent can a 1-person voucher holder afford in Cambridge under the 2024 payment standard?

Income limits and rent limits are two separate things. Income limits decide who qualifies. Payment standards decide how much subsidy CHA pays toward rent.

CHA's payment standard is built off HUD's Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for the Boston-Cambridge area. For FY2024, HUD set the Boston-Cambridge-Newton FMR at $2,036 a month for a studio and $2,348 a month for a 1-bedroom. ^[7] PHAs can set their payment standard anywhere from 90% to 110% of the FMR without asking HUD first.

A voucher holder pays roughly 30% of adjusted income toward rent, and the voucher covers the rest up to the payment standard. So a single person earning $30,000 a year pays about $750 a month. If the 1-bedroom payment standard sits somewhere around $2,300 to $2,580, the subsidy covers the gap. If the landlord charges above the payment standard, the tenant eats the full overage on top of their 30%. In Cambridge, that gets unaffordable quickly.

For the full math on how payment standards and rent interact, the rent and payment standards section runs through it step by step.

What happens if your income goes over the limit after you already have a voucher?

Nothing terminates your voucher just because your income climbs past the eligibility line. Federal rules don't cut off a household for earning more after admission. Your rent share rises (the 30% formula puts more on you) and the subsidy shrinks to match.

PHAs have to recheck income at least once a year (24 CFR § 982.516). ^[8] If your income gets high enough that you could pay the full contract rent with no help, the PHA may issue a zero-HAP (housing assistance payment) notice, which suspends the voucher. A voucher in zero-HAP status can usually be reactivated inside a window (often 180 days) if your income drops again.

In Cambridge, where rents are so high, a single person would need income well past $72,550 before their 30% share caught up to a market rent. So this plays out less often here than in cheaper metros. It still happens.

How do Cambridge's 2024 income limits compare to other Massachusetts cities?

Cambridge sits at the top end for Massachusetts because it's inside the Boston metro, one of the priciest rental markets in the country. Here's the 2024 Very Low Income limit for a single person across several Massachusetts metros:

Area	1-Person Very Low (50% AMI) FY2024
Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA	$72,550
Barnstable (Cape Cod) MA	$55,350
Worcester MA	$46,750
New Bedford MA	$37,900
Springfield MA	$35,450

Source: HUD FY2024 Income Limits documentation ^[11]

A higher income limit does not make a voucher easier to get in Cambridge. It signals that housing costs so much here that even middle incomes read as low income under federal rules. The competition for each voucher is just as fierce.

What documents does a single applicant need to prove income eligibility to CHA?

When CHA calls your name off the waitlist, you'll need paper on every income source. For a single person, plan to bring:

Pay stubs covering the last 4 to 8 weeks (or a year-to-date letter from your employer). Federal tax returns for the prior year (Form 1040). W-2s and 1099s. Benefit award letters from Social Security, SSI, disability, or a pension agency. Bank statements covering 2 to 3 months. Records of any child support, alimony, or other regular transfers.

Self-employed? Bring profit and loss statements and the Schedule C from your tax return. CHA cross-checks your declared income against the federal EIV system, which pulls wage and benefit records on its own. ^[6] Gaps between what you report and what EIV shows will slow things down and can lead to a denial for misrepresentation. Accuracy beats trying to look poorer than you are.

VoucherReady's tenant tools can help you organize these documents before your eligibility interview so nothing goes missing at the last minute.

Does Cambridge have any programs for single people who are just over the income limit?

Yes, though singles have fewer options than families. If your income sits a bit above the HCV line, a couple of paths stay open.

MassHousing and the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) use different income limits and run through MassHousing and local agencies rather than HUD. ^[9] MRVP income limits for some unit types reach 80% AMI instead of 50%, which could cover a single person earning up to around $116,050 in the Boston area. The tradeoff: MRVP has far fewer vouchers and a separate application.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties are the other route. LIHTC units, covered at low income housing tax credit, are income-restricted apartments renting below market to households at 50% or 60% of AMI. A single person earning $70,000 might slip just under the 60% AMI cap for a LIHTC unit in Cambridge, depending on the project's set-aside. LIHTC hands you a below-market rent, not a cash subsidy like a voucher, but it's real help.

For seniors, the low income senior housing page covers Cambridge-area age-restricted affordable housing, some of it with its own income thresholds.

How should a landlord in Cambridge think about the 2024 income limits?

If you're a landlord weighing whether to take a Housing Choice Voucher, the income limits sketch your likely tenant. A single-person HCV holder in Cambridge earned no more than $72,550 to qualify, and most earned under $43,550. That's the income profile at your door.

What you actually care about is the payment standard, not the income limit. CHA pays the subsidy straight to you each month, up to the payment standard for the unit size. For a 1-bedroom in Cambridge in 2024, CHA could pay up to roughly $2,300 to $2,580 a month directly, with the tenant adding their share on top. ^[7]

Cambridge passed an ordinance banning source-of-income discrimination in 2016. Landlords with four or more units cannot refuse to rent solely because someone holds a voucher. ^[10] The practical effect: you can't screen a voucher holder out at step one, though you can still run your normal credit and rental-history checks.

The VoucherReady landlord kit covers inspection, the HAP contract, and what to expect on your first payment if you want the full landlord-side picture.

For a wider view of the program from the landlord seat, the housing authority and section 8 articles are good places to start.

Frequently asked questions

What is the exact Cambridge Housing Authority Section 8 income limit for 1 person in 2024?

The FY2024 Very Low Income (50% AMI) limit for a 1-person household in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro is $72,550. The Extremely Low Income (30% AMI) limit for a single person is $43,550. Both took effect May 1, 2024. Since federal statute sends 75% of new vouchers to extremely-low-income households, the practical admission threshold for most applicants is $43,550.

Did the Cambridge Section 8 income limits change from 2023 to 2024?

Yes. HUD updates income limits every fiscal year using fresh ACS median income estimates. The FY2024 limits, effective May 1, 2024, rose from FY2023 levels for the Boston metro, tracking continued rent and wage growth. If you were over the 2023 limit, recheck the 2024 figures, because you may now qualify.

Can a single person earning $50,000 qualify for Section 8 in Cambridge?

Yes, on income alone. $50,000 sits well below the $72,550 Very Low Income cap for a 1-person household in Cambridge's metro for FY2024. It's above the $43,550 Extremely Low Income line, though, so you'd likely be deprioritized under the 75% rule. Being income-eligible clears the bar but doesn't guarantee a voucher, since the waitlist is long and preferences apply.

What is 50% of area median income for Cambridge in 2024?

For a 1-person household, 50% AMI in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro is $72,550 for FY2024. The 4-person figure at 50% AMI is $103,550, and single-person limits are set at 70% of the 4-person figure under HUD's standard adjustment. The underlying area median income for the metro is roughly $145,100 for a family of four.

Is the Cambridge Housing Authority Section 8 waitlist open right now?

As of mid-2024, the Cambridge Housing Authority's general HCV waitlist was closed to new applicants. CHA opens it periodically through a lottery, with announcements posted at cambridge-housing.org. You can also apply to other Massachusetts PHAs and later port a voucher into Cambridge. Check the open Section 8 waiting lists tracker for PHAs accepting applications now.

Does Cambridge use its own income limits or does it follow HUD?

Cambridge Housing Authority uses HUD's published income limits directly. PHAs cannot set local eligibility thresholds that deviate from HUD's figures. The limits that apply to Cambridge come from HUD's Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA HUD Metro FMR Area income limit table, refreshed each May 1.

What is the difference between very low income and extremely low income for Section 8 purposes?

Very Low Income is 50% of area median income and marks the outer eligibility edge: households above it can't get a new voucher. Extremely Low Income is 30% of AMI and is the priority tier. Federal law (42 U.S.C. § 1437f) requires PHAs to give at least 75% of newly available vouchers to extremely-low-income households, so most new recipients fall under the 30% line.

Can I use a Cambridge Section 8 voucher to rent anywhere in Massachusetts?

Yes. Once you hold a Housing Choice Voucher from Cambridge Housing Authority, federal portability rules let you use it anywhere in the country after the initial lease term (sometimes immediately), as long as you find a unit that passes inspection and a landlord who participates. You can also import a voucher from another PHA and use it in Cambridge if CHA is accepting incoming portable vouchers.

What income is counted for the Cambridge Section 8 income limit test?

HUD counts gross income from every source: wages, tips, self-employment, Social Security, SSI, pensions, unemployment, alimony, child support, disability payments, and investment income. Key exclusions include earned income of full-time students (other than the household head), live-in aide income, and certain foster care payments. The full definition sits in 24 CFR Part 5, Subpart F.

Will my Cambridge Section 8 voucher be terminated if my income increases?

No. A voucher isn't terminated just because income rises above the eligibility limit after admission. As income climbs, your rent share (30% of adjusted income) rises and the subsidy shrinks. If income gets high enough that your 30% share covers the full contract rent, the PHA issues a zero-HAP notice suspending the voucher, which you can usually reactivate within 180 days if income drops again.

How does the Cambridge income limit for Section 8 compare to the Section 8 income limit in Springfield or Worcester, MA?

Cambridge's metro produces much higher income limits than the rest of the state. The 2024 Very Low Income limit for one person is $72,550 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, versus $46,750 in Worcester and $35,450 in Springfield. The higher Cambridge figure reflects a higher area median income, not a more generous program. Rents in Cambridge run proportionally far above Worcester or Springfield.

Do Cambridge income limits apply to the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) too?

No. MRVP is a state-funded program run separately by MassHousing and local agencies, and it uses its own income limits that can reach 80% AMI for certain unit types. A single person in Cambridge who earns too much for federal Section 8 but still has a low-to-moderate income may qualify for MRVP. Its application and waitlist are separate from the CHA HCV program.

Are there Cambridge Section 8 income limit exceptions for seniors or people with disabilities?

The income thresholds don't change for seniors or people with disabilities, but HUD's income calculation allows deductions that can lower counted income. A household with an elderly member (62+) or a member with a disability gets a $400 annual deduction from annual income, plus can deduct unreimbursed medical expenses above 3% of gross income. These deductions affect the rent formula, not the eligibility threshold.

Sources

1. HUD, FY2024 Income Limits Documentation: FY2024 income limits for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA HUD Metro FMR Area, effective May 1, 2024: 1-person very low $72,550, extremely low $43,550
2. 42 U.S.C. § 1437f, United States Code: PHAs must issue at least 75% of new vouchers to households at or below 30% of area median income (extremely low income)
3. HUD, Income Limits Methodology Overview: HUD uses ACS data and a household-size adjustment factor of 0.70 for 1-person households relative to 4-person limits
4. 24 CFR Part 5, Subpart F, Code of Federal Regulations: Definition of annual income for HUD programs, including inclusions and exclusions; PHAs must use HUD income limits for eligibility determinations
5. Cambridge Housing Authority, Housing Choice Voucher Program: Cambridge Housing Authority waitlist status and local admission preferences including Cambridge residency, homelessness, and disability priorities
6. HUD, Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) System: CHA verifies applicant income through the federal EIV system, which pulls wage and benefit data from Social Security and HHS databases
7. HUD, FY2024 Fair Market Rents for Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA: FY2024 FMR for Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro: 0-bedroom $2,036, 1-bedroom $2,348 per month
8. 24 CFR § 982.516, Code of Federal Regulations: PHAs must reexamine household income and composition at least annually for Housing Choice Voucher participants
9. MassHousing, Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP): MRVP is a state-funded rental assistance program with income limits that can extend to 80% AMI for certain unit types, separate from the federal HCV program
10. City of Cambridge, Source of Income Discrimination Ordinance: Cambridge passed an ordinance prohibiting source-of-income discrimination in housing; landlords with four or more units cannot refuse tenants solely due to voucher status
11. HUD, FY2024 Income Limits, Massachusetts comparison metros: FY2024 1-person Very Low Income limits: Worcester $46,750, Springfield $35,450, New Bedford $37,900, Barnstable $55,350