WHAT IS THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME (MFI) AND HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT IT IS IN MY AREA?
The MFI, also known as Area Median Income (AMI), is an estimate of how much money people in your area earn. If you were able to see a list of all the incomes in your area from lowest to highest, the median would be the number in the middle of that list. One’s income status (“low income,” “very low income,” etc.) is based on that number and is used to determine eligibility for housing assistance. You can contact your local public housing authority (PHA) to get the MFI in your area. To find your PHA, visit HUD.gov/offices/pih/pha/contacts. Note that while the topics of affordability and the availability of housing subsidies are significant societal issues, these are not topics the Fair Housing Council can assist you with. If you have questions, be sure to contact your local public housing authority as indicated above.
