The City Council recognizes that it is critically important to provide a safe, healthy and affordable place to live for people of all income levels to sustain Bellevue's livability and economic vitality. Finding affordable housing can be a confusing process. City staff supports organizations providing direct assistance and works closely with our trusted advisors at A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) to administer funds for affordable housing in Bellevue.
On this page we help break down the steps and provide links to more information and resources. To help, we offer a list of typical affordable housing terms and their definitions.
Finding Affordable Rental Housing in Bellevue
Step 1: The type of housing you may be eligible for and the amount of rent you would be required to pay is determined by the number of people in your household and your combined income. Depending on the size of your household and your households combined income, you may qualify for regulated affordable housing. Please see the chart linked below for information about income guidelines:
Step 2: Once you know what kind of housing you are eligible for, you can look for available units. There are a variety of programs and providers as well as community partners and services that help assist you in finding affordable housing.
A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) maintains a list of apartment complexes located in East King County that have units with below-market rents.
To get one of these units, you will need to get on a waitlist. If you have questions or need assistance, you can contact ARCH at info@archhousing.org.
King County Housing Authority also manages a host of properties across the county. You can access their list of properties below.
Private buildings with some affordable units also exist across Bellevue. The city has several programs to incentivize developers to include affordable housing within market-rate rental housing. Tenants hoping to rent a unit within one of these projects should reach out to the management companies, who handle applications directly. A map of properties with affordable housing can be accessed here.
Additional Housing Resources: If you are looking for an affordable apartment in Bellevue, there are a number of other resources and programs you can look into including:
Rental, Mortgage, Move-In and Other Assistance
The City of Bellevue provides funding to nonprofit organizations to deliver services liked rental, mortgage and move-in assistance to low- and moderate-income Bellevue residents. The city does not offer these services but you can reach out to agencies directly for assistance. A list of agencies can be found at the links below:
Additional Resources
Utilities Help
For information about available Utilities financial assistance, including flexible payment plans and the Emergency Assistance program, please contact 425-452-6973, MyUtilityBill@bellevuewa.gov, or visit Utility Bill Assistance
Eviction Prevention
- Eastside Legal Assistance Program: Leave a message or email; staff will respond within 72 hours. 425-747-7274 (English); 425-620-2778 (español) Email: info@elap.org
- Housing Justice Project: Call 206-580-0762 or email hjpstaff@kcba.org for help fighting an eviction. Leave a message with your name, number, and indicate whether you need free assistance from an interpreter in your preferred language.
- Northwest Justice Project: Tenants can apply for free legal help from NJP and other legal aid providers in your county, call 1-855-657-8387
Food Assistance
- Hopelink Food Bank:14812 Main St. 425-943-7555 Call for open hours.
- Renewal Food Bank: Highland Covenant Church, 15022 Bel-Red Rd., (basement level) 425-736-8132 Call for open hours.
- The Salvation Army Evening Meal Program: Free hot meals Monday-Friday, 5:30-7 p.m. 911 164th Ave. NE 425-452-7300, ext. 776
- Agencies providing food assistance