AMI stands for Adjusted Median Income which is the mid-point of all incomes for a particular county. For Alameda County it is $130,500.00 annually for a family of four and it changes every year. To establish levels of affordable housing, the developers use percentages of the AMI for a particular county. The most common percentages are: extremely low income 30%, very low income 50% and low income 80% although there can be more percentages used for a building. This type of affordable housing is called Below Market Rate or Tax Credit units. One building usually has several different AMI categories. Each unit has a unique rent depending on the AMI. The rent that is established for each AMI will be affordable for that income group. To find out if you qualify for a particular AMI unit see the table below and check with the manager of the building. For example, a family of four with an annual income of less than $39,150.00 qualifies for a 30% AMI unit.
AMI income limits are established each year by the State Treasurer’s office and California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) where you can find the income limits for the year.
https://www.treasurer.ca.gov/ctcac/rentincome/23/income/income-limits-051523.pdf