What is Area Median Income (AMI)

AREA MEDIAN INCOME

People's Housing+ programs primarily serve low to moderate-income New Orleanians. In order to qualify, an applicant's household income must fall within our income guidelines. For the majority of our programs, the income maximum is 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Orleans Parish, though we do have limited opportunities for households at or below 120% AMI. This means an applicant's total household income, including gross wages, monthly benefits, self employment, and other income, may not be over 80% AMI (see chart below). 

Area Median Income or "AMI" is the household income for the median/‘middle’ household in a given region and is determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The middle or median income of an area is utilized to benchmark income levels and highlight the need for programs or services within a given community. They are calculated and adjusted based on household size and household income, therefore, a single individual will have a lower income threshold than a family of 4. HUD releases new AMI income data annually, typically in the late spring.