Tenant-based Rental Assistance: a HOME Program Model (HUD-1658-CPD, January 1997)

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One type of assistance possible under the HOME Program is tenant based rental assistance (TBRA).

The HOME TBRA program gives participating jurisdictions the flexibility to use a popular and cost-effective tool to assist low-income renters.

Eligible tenants under a TBRA program receive direct rental subsidies that enable them to live in rental units of their own choosing, provided that the units meet basic program requirements.

Within the bounds of certain HOME Program rules, participating jurisdictions decide who will receive subsidies, how much of a rental subsidy tenants will receive, where TBRA may be used, and to whom (the tenant or the owner) the payment will be made.

This model program is designed to give participating jurisdictions the information they need to decide if TBRA is a good use of HOME funds in their communities and to assist jurisdictions in designing a program that meets community needs and HUD requirements.

Jurisdictions interested in TBRA must consider the immediate need for rental assistance, resources other than TBRA that are available to meet that need, the state of the local housing market and program administration concerns.

This guide addresses these issues and provides guidance to participating jurisdictions in designing the subsidy component of a TBRA program.

It also walks step-by-step through an implementation process, starting with the development of a budget and proceeding all the way through the first rental assistance payment.

This detailed guidance includes sample forms including sample home rental assistance applications and contracts, a sample housing quality standard inspection form, a HOME rental assistance coupon, an information brochure for TBRA participants, and a lease addendum.

These forms can serve as models for those participating jurisdictions that wish to establish TBRA programs.