Low Income & Subsidized Housing in Cambridge, MA

There are 49 subsidized and income-restricted properties in Cambridge with roughly 3,601 assisted units — including 21 project-based Section 8 buildings, 2 public housing developments, and 35 LIHTC tax-credit communities, according to HUD administrative data. Reported tenant-paid rents across these buildings range from about $407 to $928 per month.

49
assisted properties
3,601
subsidized units
$668
typical rent
median wait

Map of subsidized housing in Cambridge

Complete directory of subsidized housing in Cambridge

PropertyUnitsAvg rentReported wait
Fresh Pond Apartments PB Section 8 338$784
Memorial Drive Housing LIHTC 301
Rindge Tower LIHTCPB Section 8 273
Walden Square Apts LIHTC 240
Lyndon B Johnson Apts Llc LIHTC 175
Briston Arms LIHTC 154
Kennedy Biscuit Lofts LIHTC 142
Cambridge Ymca LIHTC 136
Inman Cast 2 LIHTC 113
Jas Consolidated LIHTCPB Section 8 112
Squirrelwood LIHTCPB Section 8 88
Winndevelopment LIHTC 85
Auburn Court LIHTC 77
Roosevelt Towers / Cambridge H.a. PB Section 8 77$568
Briston Arms PB Section 8 73$690
Neville Place Assisted Living LIHTC 71
John F Kennedy Apts LIHTC 69
Lancaster Street Apts LIHTC 65
Lincoln Way LIHTC 62
Close Building PB Section 8 61$520
Auburn Park LIHTC 60
Swartz Properties LIHTC 59
Rindge Tower Apts. PB Section 8 55$569
Walden Square Apartments PB Section 8 48$928
Jackson Gardens LIHTC 45
Cambridge Alliance LIHTC 42
Temple Place LIHTC 41
Daniel F Burns Apts Public Housing 40$431
Frost Terrace LIHTCPB Section 8 40
Putnam Green LIHTCPB Section 8 40
Temple Place LIHTCPB Section 8 40
Columbia Cast Llc LIHTC 37
Putnam School / Cambridge H.a. PB Section 8 34$518
Bishop Allen Apartments LIHTCPB Section 8 32
St Patrick's Place LIHTC 32
Trolley Square LIHTCPB Section 8 32
Jefferson Park LIHTCPB Section 8 31
Rindge Commons LIHTCPB Section 8 24
Harvard Place §202 Senior 21$407
Squirrel Brand Apts LIHTC 20
Elm Place LIHTC 19
Harwell Homes PB Section 8 17$624
Market Street Apts LIHTC 16
Churchill Court LIHTC 12
Putnam Place LIHTC 12
Roosevelt Towers Public Housing 12$535
Magazine House PB Section 8 10
Inman Square/cast Ii PB Section 8 9
Portland Marcella PB Section 8 9

Section 8 apartments in Cambridge (project-based)

These buildings carry HUD Section 8 contracts attached to the units — apply at each management office rather than through the voucher waitlist. How project-based Section 8 works →

PropertyUnitsAvg rentReported wait
Fresh Pond Apartments PB Section 8 338$784
Rindge Tower LIHTCPB Section 8 273
Jas Consolidated LIHTCPB Section 8 112
Squirrelwood LIHTCPB Section 8 88
Roosevelt Towers / Cambridge H.a. PB Section 8 77$568
Briston Arms PB Section 8 73$690
Close Building PB Section 8 61$520
Rindge Tower Apts. PB Section 8 55$569
Walden Square Apartments PB Section 8 48$928
Frost Terrace LIHTCPB Section 8 40
Putnam Green LIHTCPB Section 8 40
Temple Place LIHTCPB Section 8 40
Putnam School / Cambridge H.a. PB Section 8 34$518
Bishop Allen Apartments LIHTCPB Section 8 32
Trolley Square LIHTCPB Section 8 32

Public housing developments in Cambridge

Rents here are set at about 30% of household income and managed by the local housing authority. About the public housing program →

PropertyUnitsAvg rentReported wait
Daniel F Burns Apts Public Housing 40$431
Roosevelt Towers Public Housing 12$535

LIHTC & affordable tax-credit apartments in Cambridge

Tax-credit units rent below market rate for households within income bands (often 30–60% of Area Median Income). Understanding LIHTC →

PropertyUnitsAvg rentReported wait
Memorial Drive Housing LIHTC 301
Walden Square Apts LIHTC 240
Lyndon B Johnson Apts Llc LIHTC 175
Briston Arms LIHTC 154
Kennedy Biscuit Lofts LIHTC 142
Cambridge Ymca LIHTC 136
Inman Cast 2 LIHTC 113
Winndevelopment LIHTC 85
Auburn Court LIHTC 77
Neville Place Assisted Living LIHTC 71
John F Kennedy Apts LIHTC 69
Lancaster Street Apts LIHTC 65
Lincoln Way LIHTC 62
Auburn Park LIHTC 60
Swartz Properties LIHTC 59

Voucher rent limits: Middlesex County Fair Market Rents

Housing Choice Voucher payment standards in this area derive from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rents for Middlesex County: studio $2,359, 1-BR $2,476, 2-BR $2,941, 3-BR $3,526, 4-BR $3,894.

Full FMR table for Middlesex County →

How to apply for subsidized housing in Cambridge

  1. Apply to buildings directly. Project-based Section 8, public housing, §202/§811 and LIHTC properties run their own waitlists — contact each office using the details on its page.
  2. Join voucher waitlists. Your regional housing authority administers Housing Choice Vouchers; ask about current openings and preferences. Step-by-step application guide →
  3. Document everything. ID, Social Security cards, birth certificates, and income proof speed up both paths.
  4. Stay reachable. Update your address everywhere — missed mail is the top reason applicants lose spots.

Nearby cities with low income housing

Data: HUD Picture of Subsidized Households & LIHTC database (2024 vintage). Figures are administrative averages — confirm current availability with each property.