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Pathway 01
Section 811: rental help for adults with disabilities
Section 811 is its own rental assistance program for adults with disabilities. It runs through a different door than the Section 8 voucher list, and many families have never heard of it. The rent stays affordable in designated apartments, and voluntary Medicaid-funded support services can come with the apartment.
Who qualifiesAdults ages 18 to 61 with a qualifying disability who receive Medicaid, are eligible for long-term services and supports, and have income at or below 30% of area median income. In a family, the person with the disability must be an adult household member. A minor child does not qualify.
How to get inYou reach Section 811 by referral. Your case manager, support planner, or Developmental Disabilities Administration coordinator enters you in the housing registry, and the Maryland Department of Disabilities makes the referrals. Howard County units are not confirmed, so ask which properties serve this area. Treat it as a long-term option and ask your case manager now.
301-429-7400 · Maryland DHCD Section 811 page Pathway 02
MIHU: Moderate Income Housing Units, to rent or to buy
Howard County requires developers of new housing in certain zoning districts to sell or rent a share of their homes at reduced prices to moderate-income households. These MIHUs sit inside regular apartment and townhome communities, with the same amenities as market-rate neighbors.
MIHU rentalsReduced-rent apartments, open to households at or below 60% of the county median income. Maximum household income, effective January 1, 2026: 1 person $61,732; 2 people $70,551; 3 people $79,370; 4 people $88,189; 5 people $95,244; 6 people $102,299; 7 people $109,355; 8 or more $116,410. Apply directly to a participating apartment community at any time of year. Units go first come, first served, so apply to several communities.
DHCD 410-313-6318 · howardcountymd.gov/DHCD-MIHU-Rental MIHU homes for saleBelow-market condos and townhomes for households at or below 80% of the county median income. You apply to the Department of Housing and Community Development during an open enrollment period to be placed in a database, and you must meet credit score requirements and have income that supports a mortgage. The county also lists homebuyer education and a Settlement Downpayment Loan Program on its Homeownership Opportunities pages.
howardcountymd.gov/DHCD-Homeownership Pathway 03
LIHU and DIHU: units for lower incomes and for disability income
The county’s inclusionary housing rules also define two deeper levels of affordability. They appear where a developer chooses them as an alternative way to meet the affordable-housing requirement, so they exist in some communities and not others.
LIHU: Low Income Housing UnitsRental units for households at or below 40% of the county median income, and units for sale for households below 60%.
DIHU: Disability Income Housing UnitsRentals for households at or below 20% of the median income whose income comes from a disability, such as SSI or SSDI.
How to find themAsk the Department of Housing and Community Development which communities currently offer LIHU and DIHU units, then call those properties for size, rent, and waitlist status. The department’s pricing and standards reset each January 1 and July 1.
410-313-6318 Pathway 04
Tax-credit apartments and where to search for more affordable housing
Many of the county’s affordable apartments were built with the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, often called LIHTC or Section 42. Rents are capped, and each property sets its own income limits, application, and waitlist. Apply to several at once, because waits are common.
Howard County list of affordable apartment communitiesA county list of 25 communities where all or some units have affordable rents, with each property’s address, phone, and website. Examples include The Brook at Columbia, Chimneys of Cradlerock, Columbia Landing, Forest Ridge, Harper’s House, Hickory Ridge Place, Owen Brown Place, Sierra Woods, Robinson Overlook, and The Verona at Oakland Mills. Call each community to ask about unit sizes, rent, and whether the waitlist is open. The list is dated March 2024, so some numbers may have changed.
410-313-6318 Howard County Housing Commission — 14 family communitiesApartments regulated under tax-credit, Partnership Rental Housing, and MIHU programs, with below-market or subsidized rents. Applications are available at each property, including Burgess Mill Station, Columbia Landing, Ellicott Gardens, Gateway Village, Orchard Meadows, Patuxent Commons, and Verona at Oakland Mills.
443-518-7800 · househoward.org HUD Resource LocatorHUD’s free map of affordable rental properties near any ZIP code: HUD-subsidized apartments, tax-credit apartments, public housing, and housing for older adults and people with disabilities. Type your ZIP code (for example 21044, 21045, or 21046) and click each property for contact details. The map does not show vacancies, so call each management office.
resources.hud.gov Bridges Alliance rental homes61 rental homes from Bridges to Housing Stability with rents averaging about 40% below market, one-year renewable leases, and financial-literacy support. Household income must be 30% to 60% of area median income (for 4 people, $44,095 to $88,189), and at least one leaseholder needs a credit score above 520. Join the Interest List, and application details come as homes open.
410-312-5760 HoCo Home ShareFree matching with homeowners who rent out a spare room, typically $600 to $1,000 a month for a private bedroom and bath, with background checks, a home inspection, and help with the lease. Homeowners often prefer a single person, and sometimes a single parent with one or two children. A useful stopgap.
410-312-5760, ext. 121 Pathway 05
Housing vouchers: Section 8 and Mainstream
Vouchers pay part of your rent in an apartment you find, and they are a long-term plan rather than an emergency fix. The Howard County Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) waiting list is closed, and the projected wait for people already on the list is about 8 to 10 years.
Howard County Housing CommissionWatch househoward.org for a reopening of the voucher list. The Commission also runs Mainstream vouchers for non-elderly households that include a person with a disability, with priority for people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, leaving institutions, or at risk of institutionalization. The referral route is not published, so call. Under a voucher the tenant pays the security deposit, so line up deposit help from other programs. Open Monday to Thursday, 8 to 4:30. 9770 Patuxent Woods Dr, Suite 100, Columbia.
443-518-7800 Pathway 06
NACA: buying a home with no down payment
NACA, the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, is a HUD-approved nonprofit homeownership and advocacy organization. Its Purchase Program offers counseling plus a mortgage with no down payment, no closing costs, no PMI, no fees, and a below-market fixed rate. All homebuyers are welcome, with a focus on low- and moderate-income buyers and homes in low- and moderate-income areas.
How it worksYou work with a NACA housing counselor, attend workshops, and provide financial documents to become NACA Qualified. Expect some changes to your budget and habits to become mortgage-ready. NACA says all of its services are free. Homeowners are asked to take part in NACA volunteer opportunities each year. Ask NACA what you will owe at closing, because buyers commonly still pay for a home inspection and prepay taxes and insurance.
naca.com/purchase Pair it with county programsHomebuyer education, MIHU homes for sale, and the Settlement Downpayment Loan Program are listed on the county’s Homeownership Opportunities pages, and some buyers combine programs.
howardcountymd.gov/DHCD-Homeownership 📌 Start these three today
1. Ask your case manager about Section 811. 2. Call three MIHU or tax-credit apartment communities and ask about waitlists. 3. Get on the Bridges Alliance Interest List. Keep a dated log of every call, because programs often ask for proof of your other applications.
More help
Details were checked by our team against official sources between September 22 and September 28, 2026. Hours, prices, and eligibility change, so call to confirm before you go.
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