Affordable Housing Earned Income Disregard

Many people with disabilities participate in housing programs that can make renting an apartment or purchasing a home more affordable. These programs include:

• Public Housing
• HOME Investment Partnerships Program
• Section 8 Voucher Program
• Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)

If you have a disability and participate in one of these affordable housing programs and get a job, you may qualify for the Earned Income Disregard (EID).

The Earned Income Disregard (EID) allows your rent to stay the same when you start working. For the first 12 months after you start working, income from your job is not counted towards your rent, so the amount you pay in rent stays the same. In the second 12 months, your housing authority will only count half of your total work earnings towards rent.

Many, but not all, public and subsidized housing programs offer an Earned Income Disregard. If you are thinking about getting a job, talk to your housing provider to see if this work incentive is available.