City of Irvine

The City of Irvine contracts with the nonprofit Fair Housing Foundation to provide information and expertise on fair housing-related questions and concerns. Staff at the Fair Housing Foundation are well-versed in a variety of topics, and are able to offer counseling and mediation services.

Visit the Fair Housing Foundation website to access a digital library of legal resources and find answers to frequently asked questions. You may also contact the Fair Housing Foundation directly at 714-918-8001.

In addition to affordable housing, supportive housing, and emergency shelter partners, the City provides grant funding to local nonprofit organizations for homelessness prevention services in Irvine, including Families Forward, South County Outreach, Human Options, and StandUp for Kids. The funded activities include transitional housing with supportive services, emergency rent and utility payment assistance, life skills counseling, clothing, and food pantries.

In order to qualify for affordable housing, your gross annual household income must not exceed the income limits in the table below for each income category. These income limits are set by the California Department of Housing and Community Development and/or United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for Orange County and are updated on an annual basis.

The Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) will be accepting applications for the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) waiting list beginning September 18, 2023, 8:00 a.m. PDT through September 29, 2023, 11:59 p.m. PDT. Households that live or work in Irvine are eligible for this affordable housing opportunity. For more information on how to apply, please visit ochousing.org or call OCHA at 714-480-2798. 

While U.S. military veterans are welcome to apply for any open affordable housing waiting list, several affordable rental communities have established a preference for veterans. Contact the buildings listed below to learn more about their waiting list processes.

Some affordable rental communities have set aside units specifically for persons with mental illness and physical and/or developmental disabilities. Usually, persons interested in renting a special needs unit must be referred through one of two local nonprofit organizations. Persons with developmental disabilities must be referred by the Regional Center of Orange County. To learn more about this process, visit the Regional Center’s website or contact their office at 714-796-5100.

The apartment complexes below contain units specifically set aside for low-income seniors. Contact the rental communities listed below to see if any are accepting applications for their waiting lists. You may also visit the Interactive Affordable Housing Map to see where these buildings are located.