Irvine’s new Nova Apartments is offering 38 affordable homes, with rents starting at $1,017—far below the nearly $3,000 market rate.
Income-qualified lottery winners who pass screening may secure a new apartment at below-market rent.
New Homes Full Amenities
Nova Apartments is a newly built community in Irvine. Current listings show its smallest Studio S1 at 552 square feet with one bath, starting at $2,995 a month.
A larger two-bedroom, two-bath loft spans 1,309 square feet and starts at $5,335. Rates and availability may change.
Amenities include a 24-hour fitness center, pool and spa, outdoor lounges, coworking space, meeting rooms, children’s play area and dog park.
Apartments feature quartz countertops, kitchen islands and modern appliances.
The 38 affordable apartments include studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms, divided into three income tiers: Very Low (50% AMI), Low (80% AMI) and Moderate (120% AMI). Of the 38 homes, 22 are designated Very Low, one Low and 15 Moderate.
Rent Tiers Clear Rules
For Very Low-income households, monthly rents are $1,017 for a studio, $1,175 for a one-bedroom and $1,288 for a two-bedroom.
The single Low-income two-bedroom rents for $1,600. Moderate-income rents are $2,472 for a studio, $2,839 for a one-bedroom and $3,160 for a two-bedroom.
Rents and eligibility limits are subject to future regulatory updates.
One key point: 50%, 80% and 120% AMI do not mean rents are discounted by those percentages.
AMI stands for Area Median Income. Eligibility depends on household size and official income limits.
For 2026, Orange County’s AMI for a four-person household is $138,600, but applicants should use Nova’s published income-limit chart to determine eligibility.
For example, the Very Low-income limit is $65,150 for one person, $74,450 for two, $83,750 for three and $93,050 for four. Under the Moderate-income tier, the limit is $116,400 for one person and $166,300 for four.
Occupancy is also limited to two people for a studio, three for a one-bedroom and five for a two-bedroom.
Applicants must meet both income and household-size requirements.
Apply Now Lottery Next
Interest-list registration runs from August 10 through 5 p.m. October 8. Only one submission per household is allowed; duplicate entries may be disqualified.
Nova plans a virtual lottery for the 38 homes on October 12.
Being selected in the lottery does not guarantee an apartment. Applicants will move forward in lottery order for eligibility review and may be asked to provide proof of wages, Social Security or retirement income, bank and investment statements, and federal and state tax returns for the past two years.
Interested households should have their total annual income, household size, preferred unit type and contact information ready before registering.
Application details and latest eligibility requirements: https://www.novairvine.com/affordable-housing
Nova Apartments adress : 18130 Derian Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614