# HUD Fair Market Rents MCP

> HUD Fair Market Rents gives you direct access to official US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data. Quickly retrieve verifiable metrics like Fair Market Rents (FMR), income limits, and demographic boundaries across every state, county, and metro area. Stop guessing on valuations; pull the numbers straight from the source.

## Overview
- **Category:** real-estate
- **Price:** Free
- **Tags:** housing-data, economic-indicators, public-records, geospatial-data, rental-market

## Description

This MCP lets your AI client access decades of official housing and economic records maintained by HUD. You can ask for specific rent data in a particular county or get statewide comparisons to track market shifts over time. Need to check income eligibility for an assistance program? It pulls the exact limits used by federal agencies. The system also tracks Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project (MTSP) income requirements, which is crucial for property development analysis. Everything connects through Vinkius, giving your agent a single point of access to thousands of other data sources without switching catalogs. You can even pull basic geographic information, like listing all available states or finding every county within a given state, before pulling the deep metrics you need.

## Tools

### get_fmr_data
Retrieves Fair Market Rent data for a specific county or metro area using its unique entity ID.

### get_il_data
Fetches the current Income Limits (IL) data based on an entity's identifier.

### get_mtsp_il_data
Provides income limits specifically for Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project (MTSP) applications.

### get_state_fmr_data
Pulls comprehensive Fair Market Rent data covering all areas within an entire state.

### get_state_il_data
Retrieves statewide income limits data for comparison across the whole state.

### list_counties
Returns a list of all counties contained within a specified state.

### list_metro_areas
Lists and identifies all major Metropolitan Statistical Areas across the US.

### list_states
Provides a complete list of all recognized US states and territories, including their codes.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
List all US states and their codes.
```

**Response:** 
```
I've retrieved the list of states. You can find codes like Alabama (AL, FIPS: 01), California (CA, FIPS: 06), and New York (NY, FIPS: 36). Which state would you like to explore further?
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Show me the Fair Market Rent data for the state of Florida.
```

**Response:** 
```
Fetching statewide FMR data for Florida (FL)... I have the data for all metro areas and counties. For example, in the Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall area, the FMR for a 2-bedroom apartment is $2,100. Would you like the full breakdown?
```

**Prompt:** 
```
What are the income limits for entity ID 0603799999?
```

**Response:** 
```
Querying Income Limits for entity 0603799999 (Los Angeles County)... The median family income is $98,200. The 'Very Low Income' (50%) limit for a family of four is $59,500. Do you need the limits for other family sizes?
```

## Capabilities

### Map U.S. Geographic Boundaries
List and identify specific states, counties, and metropolitan areas using their official FIPS codes.

### Get State-Wide Rent Benchmarks
Fetch comprehensive Fair Market Rent data for an entire state or metro region at once.

### Verify Income Eligibility Limits
Retrieve precise income limits (IL) for different family sizes and program types, including Very Low and Extremely Low categories.

### Analyze Specific Market Rates
Pull detailed rent data (FMR) for a specific county or metro area using its identifier.

### Track Subsidy Requirements
Get the income limits needed to qualify for Multifamily Tax Subsidies in designated housing projects.

## Use Cases

### Valuing a property in a new county
An appraiser needs the current rent rate for a small, unincorporated county. Instead of calling HUD and waiting days, they ask their agent to run `get_fmr_data` using the county's ID. The agent returns the exact Fair Market Rent, allowing the appraisal to finish immediately.

### Designing an assistance program for a state
A government analyst needs to know if their new income cap is viable statewide. They run `get_state_il_data` to get all median family incomes, ensuring the proposed limit works equally well in rural areas and large metro centers.

### Comparing rental markets across states
A developer wants to know if a new project will be viable from Texas to Florida. They use `list_states` to get all state codes, then loop through them using `get_state_fmr_data` to create a comparative regional report.

### Checking tax subsidy eligibility
A developer needs funding for an affordable housing project. They use the specialized tool `get_mtsp_il_data` to confirm the exact income limits required by the Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project, ensuring they meet all federal guidelines.

## Benefits

- Stop estimating rents. Use `get_state_fmr_data` to pull benchmark data for every metro area in a state, perfect for market reports.
- Track historical trends accurately. Querying specific years allows you to see how rent prices and income limits have shifted over time.
- Ensure compliance with federal rules. `get_mtsp_il_data` gives the precise income thresholds needed for subsidy eligibility checks, avoiding manual calculation errors.
- Scope out your research first. Start by calling `list_states` or `list_metro_areas` to build a comprehensive list of all possible jurisdictions before running deep metric queries.
- Compare state economies easily. Use `get_state_il_data` to run side-by-side comparisons of income limits across multiple states.

## How It Works

The bottom line is you get verifiable HUD data on rent and income limits without having to manually navigate multiple government websites.

1. Subscribe to this MCP and enter your HUD User API Key.
2. Direct your AI client to use a listing tool, like `list_states`, to identify the required geographic scope (e.g., 'California').
3. Use a metric tool, such as `get_state_fmr_data` or `get_il_data`, providing the necessary identifiers to pull structured data.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**How do I find all the states and their codes using list_states?**
Use `list_states` to get a definitive, up-to-date listing of every state and territory. This is your first step when you need to scope out data across multiple regions.

**What's the difference between get_fmr_data and get_state_fmr_data?**
`get_fmr_data` pulls deep metrics for one specific county or metro area. `get_state_fmr_data`, however, gathers the full set of FMR data covering every major area across an entire state.

**Can I check income limits for a housing project? Which tool do I use?**
Yes. Use `get_mtsp_il_data`. This specific function pulls the precise Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project (MTSP) required income limits, which are different from general county limits.

**How does list_counties help with my research?**
The `list_counties` tool helps you establish a boundary. If you know the state but not the exact counties, running this first gives you the full list of potential data points.

**What do I need to provide for authentication when calling a function like get_il_data?**
You must supply a valid HUD User API Key. This key is required in the connection settings before your agent runs any queries, ensuring secure access to the data.

**How do I find all relevant metropolitan zones using list_metro_areas?**
This tool generates a comprehensive listing of defined Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). You use these specific codes to narrow your search parameters when calling functions like get_fmr_data, guaranteeing accurate targeting.

**When should I use get_state_il_data instead of querying an individual entity ID?**
Use get_state_il_data when you need to compare income limits across all counties within a single state. Running the query for one specific county only gives limited, isolated data points.

**If my API request fails while running get_fmr_data, what should I check first?**
First, verify that you have provided a valid entity ID and the correct year range. Most errors happen because of missing or malformed geographic identifiers.

**How do I find the specific ID for a county to get its rent data?**
First, use the `list_states` tool to get the state code, then use `list_counties` with that code. This will provide you with the 10-digit FIPS code (entity ID) needed for the `get_fmr_data` tool.

**Can I retrieve rent data for an entire state at once?**
Yes! Use the `get_state_fmr_data` tool and provide the two-letter state code (e.g., 'NY' for New York). It will return FMR data for all metro areas and counties within that state.

**What is the difference between IL and MTSP data?**
IL data (`get_il_data`) refers to general Income Limits for housing assistance, while MTSP data (`get_mtsp_il_data`) specifically targets Multifamily Tax Subsidy Projects. Both can be queried using the same entity IDs.