FAQs

Affordable housing is typically considered housing that is rented at a rate affordable to households earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or homeownership opportunities affordable to households earning at or below 80% AMI.

Affordable housing can be legally restricted or it can be lower-cost market-rate housing. Legally Restricted Affordable Housing (LRAH) is contractually bound to serve low and moderate-income residents and commonly includes public and private investments such as subsidies, tax credits, or vouchers.) LRAH is regarded as a community’s permanent affordable housing stock. Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) are unsubsidized units, often lower quality due to age or condition. NOAH is vulnerable to becoming unaffordable as property values increase and/ or reinvestment/ maintenance is needed.

See our page with more information on Area Median Income and Affordable Rents.

Cary does not have a housing authority or administer housing vouchers. For questions about public housing or housing choice vouchers, please visit the Wake County Housing Authority or the Raleigh Housing Authority.

Since Cary does not own or manage any housing units, we cannot assist with affordable housing placement. Our nonprofit partner, Dorcas Ministries offers monthly trainings on Affordable Housing Search Help in English and Spanish, which we recommend. They are also able to provide financial assistance and case management for eligible residents.

Additional Resources:
DHIC is an affordable housing developer with several individually-managed rental properties.

NCHousingSearch.org is an independent bilingual service that provides detailed information about apartments and homes for rent in your area and throughout the state.

If you have a Section 8 voucher, please visit the Wake County Housing Authority or Raleigh Housing Authority.

Other search tools include the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Affordable Apartment Search and the USDA Multi-Family Housing Rentals.

Cary does not own or operate any affordable housing, however, Marigold (a mixed-income housing development coming to 921 SE Maynard Rd in 2025) has a tenant interest form that is currently receiving submissions. Please note that the interest form is not an official waiting list.

Cary does not have housing authority and therefore does not manage voucher programs or public housing. Please contact the Wake County Housing Authority and/or the Raleigh Housing Authority for housing choice voucher options in the area.

Cary doesn’t own or manage any housing, however, a list of housing for seniors can be found here. Please note that this list may not be comprehensive and is updated as staff become aware of opportunities.

DHIC’s Homeownership Center and Wake County’s Affordable Homeownership Program are available resources. Cary also partners with Raleigh Area Land Trust and Habitat for Humanity to expand affordable homeownership opportunities. The White Oak Foundation, Inc. also provides housing counseling services.

Healthy Homes Cary program assists low and moderate-income homeowners with necessary home improvements. This program, administered by our nonprofit partner Rebuilding Together of the Triangle, helps residents age in place, preserve safe and sanitary housing, correct hazardous structural conditions, and improve accessibility for persons with disabilities. For more information on our program, please visit Healthy Homes Cary.

If you are a Cary resident, we partner with Dorcas Ministries to provide case management and financial assistance to those facing financial hardship. Through our Oasis Utility Bill Program, which Dorcas also administers, eligible residents can receive assistance with their Town of Cary utility bill. For more information, please visit Dorcas’ website.

Cary partners with Dorcas Ministries through the Stable Homes Cary program to offer case management to residents who are at risk of losing their home or have lost their home. If your address has most recently been in Cary or Morrisville, please contact Dorcas Ministries for assistance.

For additional assistance, regardless of the location of your most recent address, please contact either the Western Wake Health and Human Services Center or Oak City Cares.

Cary partners with Dorcas Ministries through the Stable Homes Cary program to assist Cary residents facing relocation. Please visit the Stable Homes Cary page for more information on the program and how to apply.

Annually, Cary invites organizations working in the key areas of housing development and preservation, housing stability support services, community development, and critical need assistance to apply for funding. Funds are awarded on a yearly basis. For more information on grants, please visit our Cary Housing and CDBG page. Cary does not provide grants to individual residents, though several of our nonprofit partners provide emergency assistance to individuals.

Cary Housing and Community Partnerships does not currently collect information on housing opportunities to this level. For locating affordable housing and/or senior housing, please see the resources listed throughout this FAQ.

Cary partners with developers and nonprofit organizations to create diverse housing opportunities in accordance with the Cary Housing Plan. Please visit the Housing Developments tab at the top of the website to see projects in which Cary has invested. Projects listed in the dropdown menu are currently in the pre-development or development process. All completed developments are listed on the Housing Development Project Profiles page.

Generally, North Carolina law limits the ability of local municipalities to provide their own property tax relief programs. There are several programs administered through Wake County that may provide relief to low-income seniors, disabled homeowners, disabled veterans or their surviving spouse. Further information on the programs and how to apply are available here on the Wake County website. Applications must be submitted by June 1. Late applications may be considered in certain circumstances such as illness, hospitalization, death of the taxpayer or military deployments.