MyHousingSearch.com: Lowest Price Rental Search in 30+ States for Low Income, Section 8, Disabled, 50+, Homeless, & Veterans
- Adam Garrett
- May 3, 2024
- 1 min read
Updated: Jul 2, 2024
One of the best options available for those seeking a low price on a rental (as low as free, as in examples above) is myhousingsearch.com, a search portal publicly available in 29 states that allows you to filter by features like:
Section 8 Vouchers
Veteran or VASH Recipient
Eligible Disabled
50+
55+
62+
<50% median income
All of the images are courtesy myhousingsearch.com & from the desktop/laptop view.
Available Locations in US Beyond Virginia
Locations publicly visible in alphabetical order by state:
Arizona (AZ: Pima County)
California: Los Angeles County; Pasadena
Kansas City (Kansas & Missouri) area
Missouri: Saint Louis
Locations presumably only available via CareSource life coaches: Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia. Locations available via Caresource & publicly visible include Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, & Ohio.
Some Options Have No Application Fee
While I don't see an option to add a filter for options with no application fee, here's an example with no application fee, a $100 deposit, and as low as $50/month in rent based on income:
Navigating Search Portal Basic Features:
Toggle the Detailed View
The main reasons are that it doesn't make the result any bigger on the desktop view, but shows the company advertising, availability, and the deposit required.
Refine the Search
Oddly enough, the only initial criteria that you can input into the search is the location you're looking for. To see an expanded view of criteria options, once you're looking in a particular location (i.e. a city name), click on "Refine or Restart Your Search" to view expanded criteria options.
Basic Filters
![General Search Information Do you have a Section 8 Voucher? [?] Yes Veteran or VASH Recipient? [?] Yes Bedroom[s] 0+ Bath Any Rent range $0 to $1,300 a month Optional Filters Wait Listed Properties Display Hide Housing Type Any (House, etc.) [?] Senior/Disability Housing Include in Results ZIP Code[s] Optional ZIP Code[s] List relevant ZIP codes Public Transit Not Applicable Smoking Policy [?] Any Landlord Speaks English](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cece05_52e9ad039e434d8ea90afe80a0a74486~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_591,h_717,al_c,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/cece05_52e9ad039e434d8ea90afe80a0a74486~mv2.png)
Advanced Filters
All of the advanced filter options appear to also be visible in the accessible tab:
Here are those Options:
![General Search Information Do you have a Section 8 Voucher? [?] Yes Veteran or VASH Recipient? [?] Yes Bedroom[s] 0+ Bath Any Rent range $0 to $1,300 a month Optional Filters Wait Listed Properties Display Hide Housing Type Any (House, etc.) [?] Senior/Disability Housing Include in Results ZIP Code[s] Optional ZIP Code[s] List relevant ZIP codes Public Transit Not Applicable Shopping Not Applicable Hospital Not Applicable Smoking Policy [?] Any Landlord Speaks English Search by Distance Within N/A Miles of Street Address Street Address ZIP Code Use my current location (works best on mobile browsers) Yes Other Search Options Income is N/A of Median Income[?] Calculate Building or Complex Name Type Building or Complex Name Here Security Deposit N/A Rent Includes N/A Income Based or Sliding Scale Rent [?] Private Owners Only Only Electric Appliances Short Term Lease Pets OK Covered Parking Off Street Parking Furnished Wash/Dry Hookups Yard Basement Air-conditioned Stove & Fridge No Credit Check No Criminal Check Assisted Living [?] Show me 10 Properties per Page](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cece05_c9a9b94f0a60425e8bd2dce8248593fc~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_580,h_1356,al_c,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/cece05_c9a9b94f0a60425e8bd2dce8248593fc~mv2.png)
Accessible Filters
There are a wide range of accessibility filters:
![Universal Accessibility Entry and Common Area Fully Accessible Route from Parking to Unit Accessible Parking Close to Unit Accessible Elevators Unit on First Floor Universal Accessibility Whole Unit Doorway Clear Width - 32" or Wider Maximum 1/2" High Thresholds at Doors and Flooring Transitions Accessible Light Switches [?] Lever Style Handles & Faucets Low Counters & Vanities With 27"-high Knee Space Underneath (Bath and Kitchen) Universal Accessibility Kitchen Front Controls on Stove/Cook-top [?] Counter Height Microwave Universal Accessibility Bathroom 'T' Turn or 60" Turning Circle in Bathrooms Toilet Grab Bars or Reinforcements Bath Grab Bars or Reinforcements Accessible Height Toilet Roll-in Shower Walk-in Shower [?] Universal Accessibility Miscellaneous Options Accessible Flooring for Wheeled Device Use [?] Front Control Laundry Machines and Accessible Route to Laundry Within Paratransit Route Universal Accessibility Sensory Options Strobe in Unit & Common Area Extra Audible in Unit & Common Area](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cece05_e8df9c4ebadb427a962810b885ccb509~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_580,h_834,al_c,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/cece05_e8df9c4ebadb427a962810b885ccb509~mv2.png)
Use the Advanced or Accessible Search Criteria
There's a Basic search option as well as an Advanced & Accessible option. Some may want to initially avoid the basic search since more targeted searches tend to be superior as long as criteria is required to be input for filters. That said, if you don't find what you're looking for with a more advanced search, it's not a bad idea to try out the basic search.
Filter by Wait List
Most of the free options I found are wait list options, but there is a way to avoid wait list properties in the basic filter view:
Here's an example of searches up to $200/month:
Right on the top near the middle there is a "Hide Wait List Properties" option:
In this case, that reduces the # of properties from 42 to 0:
Search Filters Option Examples:
Proximity to Public Transit
It also has public transit features for locating properties close to public transit even in the basic view (as well as in the advanced and accessible views) based on varying levels of proximity to public transit.
Senior/Disability Housing
It also has a feature for locating properties available to those who are either seniors or disabled even in the basic view (as well as in the advanced and accessible views).
Section 8
It also has a feature for locating properties available to those who are section 8 recipients in each of the 3 views (basic, advanced, or accessible).
Veteran or VASH Recipient
It also has a feature for locating properties available to those who are Veterans or VASH recipients even in the basic view (as well as in the advanced and accessible views).
No Criminal Check
In the Advanced or Accessible search criteria views, there's an option near the bottom to filter by properties with no criminal check.
While the # of these is low, there are some options available with no criminal check, i.e. 1 of the 150 properties in Newport News at the moment:
In Norfolk there were 5 properties out of 180 properties:
Shopping Proximity
It also has a feature for locating properties available based on shopping proximity in the advanced or accessible views in the optional filters section.
Hospital Proximity
It also has a feature for locating properties available based on hospital proximity in the advanced or accessible views in the optional filters section.
Search by Distance
It also has a feature for locating properties available based on proximity to a particular address (i.e. your place of work or family location) in the advanced or accessible views in the optional filters section.
Median Income
It also has a feature for locating properties available based on % of median income in the advanced or accessible views in the other search options section.
"The Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area contains the following areas: Currituck County, NC; Gloucester County, VA; Isle of Wight County, VA; James City County, VA; Mathews County, VA; York County, VA; Chesapeake city, VA; Hampton city, VA; Newport News city, VA; Norfolk city, VA; Poquoson city, VA; Portsmouth city, VA; Suffolk city, VA; Virginia Beach city, VA; and Williamsburg city, VA."
Greater Richmond Median Income:
Assisted Living
In the Advanced or Accessible search options tab at the bottom left:
Pets
In the Advanced or Accessible search options tab:
Short Term Lease
In the Advanced or Accessible search options tab:
Furnished
In the Advanced or Accessible search options tab:
Yard
In the Advanced or Accessible search options tab:
Security Deposit
In the Advanced or Accessible search options tab:
Utilities
In the Advanced or Accessible search options tab:
Income Based/Sliding Scale
In the Advanced or Accessible search options tab:
Other Search Options
There are a number of additional search options:
Search Tips directly from My Housing Search
All images are courtesy VirginiaHousingSearch.com
Alternatives to MyHousingSearch.com
In a REIN MLS search (available to most RE agents in Hampton Roads), add the criteria of "Lease Conditions": 'Gov. Subsidized' &/or (for a more indirect option) 'Section 8 Eligible'. That said, all Section 8 eligible properties fall under the "Gov. Subsidized" filter it seems, though "Section 8 eligible" properties include some additional inventory.
About the Author: Adam Garrett - 3rd Generation REALTOR®
Adam is the 3rd generation in a line of award-winning real estate agents serving SE VA. He has served full time at Garrett Realty Partners since May 2014 when he joined the marketing department before transitioning to full-time sales to assist buyers and sellers in February 2015. He believes that an educated buyer or seller makes the best decisions, & is dedicated to helping with that both digitally & on-site physically for buyers & sellers. In several capacities, his resources & direct offerings for assisting sellers & assisting buyers are either unmatched or are top 1% for the SE VA area, and in some cases, nationwide. Not stopping after closing, he also provides information for tenants, landlords, & homeowners.
Related for Buyers:
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He's also available for referrals to real estate agents around the globe.
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