Reading, Pennsylvania · Berks County
John F Lutz Apartments
John F Lutz Apartments is a low-income housing tax credit (Section 42) property at 3559 St Lawrence Ave, Reading, PA 19606 with 39 income-restricted apartments out of 39, placed in service in 1996. In 2026 a household of four qualifies for a 60% unit here with income up to $61,260 ($65,400 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 $1,471 a month in gross rent.
HUD lists it as "JOHN F LUTZ APTS".
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 Listings come from HUD's database and may be out of date.
Property facts
- Address
- 3559 St Lawrence Ave, Reading, PA 19606 (map)
- County
- Berks County
- Apartments
- 39
- Income-restricted apartments
- 39
- Bedrooms
- 34 one-bedrooms, 5 two-bedrooms
- Who it serves (HUD)
- Seniors
- Placed in service
- 1996
- Credits allocated
- 1994
- Construction
- Acquisition and rehab
- Credit type
- 4% (30% present value credit)
- Tax-exempt bond financing
- No
- Nonprofit sponsor
- No
- Rental assistance
- None reported
- Census tract (2020)
- 42011012101
- HUD project ID
- PAA19960160
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 Berks County
To rent an income-restricted apartment here in 2026, a household's income has to be at or under the unit's limit: $42,900 for one person or $61,260 for four at 60% of area median, $35,750 or $51,050 at 50%. HUD's FY2026 median family income for the area (Reading, PA MSA) is $102,100.
HUD's record lists the property's elected income test as 60% of area median (the 40/60 test).
Income limits by household size, 2026
| Level | 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% AMI | $35,750 | $40,850 | $45,950 | $51,050 |
| 60% AMI | $42,900 | $49,020 | $55,140 | $61,260 |
Maximum gross monthly rent by unit size, 2026
| Level | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% AMI | $893 | $957 | $1,148 | $1,327 | $1,481 |
| 60% AMI | $1,072 | $1,149 | $1,378 | $1,593 | $1,777 |
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 Berks County, every level from 20% to 80%.
HERA Special limits. Berks 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: $45,780 for one person and $65,400 for four at 60%, with a 60% two-bedroom at up to $1,471. HUD dates this property to 1996, so it can use them where they are higher.
How long the units stay affordable
15-year compliance period: 1996 to about 2010. 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 2011 (IRC 42(f)(1), 42(i)(1)). It has ended.
Extended use: 2025 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, 42011012101, is not a Qualified Census Tract on HUD's 2027 list. ZIP code 19606 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 Reading
- Market Square Apartments801 Penn St · 38 restricted units
- Century Hall Apartments831 Walnut St · 15 restricted units
- Wyomissing Club501 Walnut St · 58 restricted units
- Elm View Apartments350 Elm St · 32 restricted units
- Barley Square220 Grape St · 57 restricted units
- Goggle Works Apartments100 110 N Second 101 Pear St ·
All 14 properties in Reading. Nearby cities: Coatesville (11), Lebanon (7), Phoenixville (6), Lancaster (13), Allentown (14), West Chester (6).
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.