The State of California, Department of Housing and Community Development, on February 22, 2013, made its final decision to implement a new State Income Limit Hold Harmless Policy beginning 2013 (Feb 22, 2013 Notice - New State Income Limit Hold Harmless Policy). The new policy is the same as the policy referenced in the December 20, 2012 notice requesting public comments by January 31, 2013 ( Dec 20, 2012 Notice - Proposed State Income Limit Hold Harmless Policy).


1. Official State Income Limits for 2013 Reflecting New Hold Harmless Policy

California Health and Safety Code (H&SC) Sections 50079.5, 50105 and 50106 provide that the State limits for the low, very-low, and extremely-low income categories are to be updated upon the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) updating its Section 8 program income limits. HUD released its new FY 2013 income limits on December 11, 2012. Pursuant to H&SC Section 50093, et.seq, the California Department of Housing and Community Development updated its 2013 State Income Limits by transmitting required documents to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) for filing with the Secretary of State and publication in the California Code of Regulations (Title 25, Section 6932).

2013 HCD State Income Limits: February 25, 2013 - (Adobe PDF)

2. State CDBG and HOME's Income Limits

This table includes income limits for the two federal programs of CDBG and HOME when administered by the State Department of Housing and Community Development. The table includes county-level income limits from HUD's release of the current income limits.

This table is not intended for use by local jurisdictions that receive these funds directly from HUD.

Current Income Limits for California-administered CDBG & HOME

3. Multifamily Housing Program (MHP) Rent, Income and Loan Limits

HCD’s Multifamily Housing Programs (General, Governor’s Homeless Initiative, Homeless Youth, Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program (JSJFWHG), Supportive Housing and TOD Housing) utilize the information published by HUD to calculate maximum rents and income limits for California Low Income Housing Tax Credit projects.  Below are links to the recent several years' income, rent and loan limits applicable to MHP for California’s 58 counties.

Please note, Section 3009(a) of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) includes provisions for increases to income limits in areas impacted by the HUD “hold harmless policy.” As a result, HUD published “HERA Special Income Limits” for “HUD Hold Harmless Impacted Projects.” In California, these apply only to projects placed in service prior to January 1, 2009 and located within the following ten counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Nevada, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma and Ventura.

The 2013 Non-HERA Maximum Income Limits should be compared with income limits Multifamily Tax Subsidy Projects (MTSPs) are currently operating under to see if they are eligible for an increase in income limits and rents. The statutory hold harmless provisions in HERA prevents income limits and rents from falling below the highest levels the project ever operated under. The 2013 HERA Maximum Income Limits as previously stated are applicable to MTSPs located within the ten HERA affected counties and placed in service prior to January 1, 2009.
Please call your MHP or AMC Program Representative if you have any questions about the MHP limits.