The Imperial Valley Housing Authority has a variety of programs that provide housing assistance to eligible, low-income households. Eligible applicant households are placed on a waiting list until a housing voucher or unit offer is made. New applicants are added to the list based on eligibility. Often, applicants wait on the waiting list for an extended period; it may take years before they receive a unit offer. This is solely due to the high number of applicants on the waiting lists. We encourage applicants to keep their application information up to date and accurate.
The head of household must be at least 18 years of age or be a legally emancipated minor.
The household must meet Section 214 requirements governing U.S. citizenship and eligible immigration status.
All adults are subject to a criminal background check when their application is processed for eligibility.
For most households, their total gross yearly income must not exceed the federal income limits at the time of final eligibility.
Tax Credit properties will follow applicable Tax Credit income guidelines.
HCV incomce limit must be at Very Low (50%) to qualify.
FY 2025 Limits Summary
FY 2025 Income Limit Area | Median Family Income Limit | FY 2025 Income Limit Category | Persons in Family | |||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||
El Centro, CA MSA | $73,100 | Very Low (50% ) Income Limits ($) | 32,900 | 37,600 | 42,300 | 46,950 | 50,750 | 54,500 | 58,250 | 62,000 |
Extremely Low Income Limits ($)* | 19,750 | 22,550 | 26,650 | 32,150 | 37,650 | 43,150 | 48,650 | 54,150 | ||
Low (80%) Income Limits ($) | 52,600 | 60,100 | 67,600 | 75,100 | 81,150 | 87,150 | 93,150 | 99,150 | ||
Note: Imperial County is a part of the El Centro, CA MSA, so all information presented here applies to all of the El Centro, CA MSA.
The El Centro, CA MSA contains the following areas: Imperial County, CA;
For Housing Choice Voucher Programs, households are assigned a housing voucher or unit based on two people per bedroom, regardless of age, gender, or relationship, with exceptions for live-in aides and/or approved reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. Additional space is not provided to family members of a live-in aide.
For Public Housing, households are assigned 1 bedroom for each two persons within the household according to family composition based on IVHA ACOP Plan, page 5-2.
The Imperial Valley Housing Authority has enlisted the help of Rent Café to help applicants apply for assistance, upload documents, and maintain records.
Please be advised that certain program waitlists are subject to closure at any time. If the waiting list becomes too long or if there are limited unit openings, the Housing Authority may temporarily stop accepting new applications for that waiting list.
We encourage all interested applicants to apply and check our website regularly for updates on application status and waiting list availability.