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Santa Fe, New Mexico · Santa Fe County

Villa Real Apartments I

Villa Real Apartments I is a low-income housing tax credit (Section 42) property at 501 W Zia Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87505 with 60 income-restricted apartments out of 60, placed in service in 1992. In 2026 a household of four qualifies for a 60% unit here with income up to $65,640 ($73,020 under HUD's HERA Special limits, which a property placed in service by 2008 can use), and a 60% two-bedroom can charge at most $1,644 a month in gross rent.

HUD lists it as "VILLA REAL APTS I".

Check whether your household income qualifies

Equal housing opportunity. Fair Housing Act protections apply, and tax credit properties can't turn down a Housing Choice voucher. Report discrimination to HUD at 1‑800‑669‑9777. LIHTC Atlas doesn't own, manage or rent these apartments.

Full fair housing notice

Tax credit properties must follow the Fair Housing Act, which bars discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin, and they may not refuse an applicant because the applicant holds a Housing Choice (Section 8) voucher (IRC 42(h)(6)(B)(iv)). Properties HUD lists as senior housing may limit who lives there by age only as the Fair Housing Act's housing-for-older-persons exemption allows. To report housing discrimination, call HUD at 1‑800‑669‑9777.

LIHTC Atlas does not own, manage or rent these apartments and does not take applications. Contact each property's management for availability, rents and income rules. Listings come from HUD's database and may be out of date.

60Apartments
60Income-restricted
1992Placed in service
about 2006Compliance period ends

Property facts

Address
501 W Zia Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87505 (map)
County
Santa Fe County
Apartments
60
Income-restricted apartments
60
Placed in service
1992
Credits allocated
1990
Construction
New construction
Credit type
9% (70% present value credit)
Tax-exempt bond financing
No
Nonprofit sponsor
No
Census tract (2020)
35049001102
HUD project ID
NMA19920075

Source: HUD's national LIHTC database (LIHTCPUB, revised May 28, 2026; projects placed in service through 2024), as the state allocating agency reported it. HUD lists the property as still monitored for compliance. Contact the property's management for current rents, availability and income rules.

2026 income limits and rents in Santa Fe County

To rent an income-restricted apartment here in 2026, a household's income has to be at or under the unit's limit: $45,960 for one person or $65,640 for four at 60% of area median, $38,300 or $54,700 at 50%. HUD's FY2026 median family income for the area (Santa Fe, NM MSA) is $118,600.

Income limits by household size, 2026

Level1 person2 people3 people4 people
50% AMI$38,300$43,750$49,250$54,700
60% AMI$45,960$52,500$59,100$65,640

Maximum gross monthly rent by unit size, 2026

LevelStudio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
50% AMI$957$1,025$1,231$1,422$1,587
60% AMI$1,149$1,230$1,477$1,707$1,905

Source: HUD FY2026 MTSP income limits (files dated March 27, 2026). Rents are ceilings, gross of the utility allowance for tenant-paid utilities, computed by the IRS Publication 5913 method (30% of the limit for 1 person in a studio or 1.5 people per bedroom, over 12, rounded down); the rent the property charges can be lower. A project's limits can't fall below those of earlier years (IRC 142(d)(2)(E)), so a property already in service may use higher figures. All 2026 limits for Santa Fe County, every level from 20% to 80%.

HERA Special limits. Santa Fe County is a HUD hold-harmless impacted area, and projects placed in service there by December 31, 2008 use HUD's higher HERA Special limits: $51,120 for one person and $73,020 for four at 60%, with a 60% two-bedroom at up to $1,644. HUD dates this property to 1992, so it can use them where they are higher.

How long the units stay affordable

15-year compliance period: 1992 to about 2006. It starts with the first year of the credit period, which is the year the building was placed in service or, if the owner elects, the next year, so it can run a year later, through 2007 (IRC 42(f)(1), 42(i)(1)). It has ended.

Extended use: 2021 at the earliest. The extended use agreement keeps the units income-restricted for at least 15 years after the compliance period, 30 years in all; that is the federal minimum, and many state agencies require longer (IRC 42(h)(6)(D)). The 30-year minimum has passed; HUD's file still lists the property as monitored, so its agreement or another program may still restrict it.

After year 14 an owner can ask the state agency to find a buyer at the "qualified contract" price; if none is found, the extended use period can end early, with three more years of protection for existing tenants, unless the agreement waives that right, as many states require (IRC 42(h)(6)(E)-(F)). The recorded agreement governs; ask the state agency for this property's terms.

QCT and DDA status

Its 2020 census tract, 35049001102, is not a Qualified Census Tract on HUD's 2027 list. ZIP code 87505 doesn't match a 2027 Small Difficult Development Area ZCTA.

For the year it was placed in service, HUD's record puts the property not in a Qualified Census Tract, on that year's tract boundaries.

The 2027 lists (HUD, Federal Register Doc. 2026-20390) govern allocations made after 2026, such as a resyndication; the property's original basis boost depended on the lists in force when it received credits. A ZIP code and its ZCTA usually match but not always. Check an exact address with the QCT and DDA lookup.

Other tax credit properties in Santa Fe

All 34 properties in Santa Fe. Nearby cities: Las Vegas (7), Albuquerque (89), Taos (5), Los Lunas (8), Belen (5), Socorro (9).

How tax credit apartments work

Rent in an income-restricted unit is capped by the unit's size, not set by your income, and you qualify if your household earns at or under the unit's limit, usually 50% or 60% of the area median. You can apply with a Housing Choice voucher. How to qualify, step by step.