HUD to Release Proposals to Increase Rents and Impose Work Requirements

On April 25, the Trump Administration, through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), unveiled draft legislation to raise rents and impose work requirements on low income households receiving housing assistance through programs including public housing or Section 8.

The draft bill increases rents on the lowest income households – including older adults and people with disabilities – eliminates income deductions for medical or childcare expenses, and provides broad discretion to housing providers to impose administratively burdensome and harmful work requirements.

Today, most families receiving federal housing assistance pay 30% of their adjusted income as rent. Under HUD’s proposal, they would instead have to pay 35% of their gross income or 35% of the amount earned by working 15 hours a week at federal minimum wage, whichever is higher. This means that HUD would essentially set a new mandatory minimum monthly rent of $152.25, three times higher than the current $50 minimum rent that some housing providers may apply to families in subsidized homes. By eliminating income deductions in determining rents, HUD would increase rents most significantly for families with high medical or child care expenses.

HUD's proposal was immediately met with opposition by housing advocates. To learn more about the work requirements and opposition to the proposal, visit the National Low Income Housing Coalition website by clicking here.