Section 8 in Amherst Town, MA: FMR & Landlord Guide

Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area (CBSA 11200). FY2026 Fair Market Rents, active voucher counts, housing authorities and wait-list status, and source-of-income law. Every figure below links back to its source.

2-bedroom FMR (FY2026)
$2,004
HUD
Active vouchers
1,409
79% utilized
Housing authorities
3
serving this metro
Source-of-income law
Protected
M.G.L. c.151B §4

Fair Market Rent by bedroom count

HUD-published metro FMR for FY2026. Payment standards (what a PHA actually pays) are set between 90% and 110% of FMR at PHA discretion.

BedroomsFMRPayment standard (90–110%)
Efficiency (studio)$1,382$1,244 – $1,520
1-bedroom$1,580$1,422 – $1,738
2-bedroom$2,004$1,804 – $2,204
3-bedroom$2,504$2,254 – $2,754
4-bedroom$2,702$2,432 – $2,972

Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Amherst Town, MA covers up to $2,004 in gross rent (before the tenant’s utility allowance). Between the low and high end of the range: $1,804$2,204.

Voucher demand in this metro

Active vouchers
1,409
Occupied
1,120
Utilization
79%

Aggregated from HUD Public Housing Authority data (FY2026). High utilization means voucher holders are placed and reliably paying rent, a stable but competitive tenant pool for accepting landlords.

Housing authorities serving Amherst Town, MA

3 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Contact the PHA that covers the specific address you’re considering.

  • Northampton Housing Authority

    Northampton, MA · MA026 · 862 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Amherst Housing Authority

    Amherst, MA · MA085 · 444 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Hanssen

    Ware, MA · MA088 · 103 HCV units

    Status unknown

Source-of-income law in MA

MA state law prohibits landlords from refusing to rent to Section 8 voucher holders on the basis of their source of income.

M.G.L. c.151B §4 · view statute →

Informational only, not legal advice. Laws change; verify current status before making a leasing decision.

Analyze a specific Amherst Town, MA property

Look up the address’s SAFMR (ZIP-level rent), plug the numbers into the voucher-vs-market analyzer, and check the HQS pre-inspection list before scheduling.