Tenant-based Rental Assistance - ABC's of HOME - CPD

The HOME Program allows PJs to create flexible programs that provide financial assistance to individual households in order to enable them to rent market-rate units. These rental subsidies are known as "tenant-based rental assistance" or TBRA.

The following topics describe HOME TBRA programs in more detail and explain the HOME rules that govern the implementation of a TBRA program.

What is TBRA? TBRA is a rental subsidy that PJs can provide to help individual households afford housing costs such as rent, utility costs, security deposits, and/or utility deposits.

Eligible TBRA activities. These include rental assistance programs, self-sufficiency programs, homebuyer programs, targeted population programs, anti-displacement assistance programs, and security deposit programs.

What is TBRA? TBRA is a rental subsidy that PJs can provide to help individual households afford housing costs such as rent, utility costs, security deposits, and/or utility deposits.

Eligible TBRA activities. These include rental assistance programs, self-sufficiency programs, homebuyer programs, targeted population programs, anti-displacement assistance programs, and security deposit programs.

Eligible TBRA households. HOME TBRA is limited to tenants with incomes at or below 80 percent of area median income. The Program Benefit rule must also be adhered to.

Tenant selection requirements. A PJ must have written tenant selection policies and criteria consistent wit the purpose of providing housing to very low and low-income families.

Property standards. The Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQS) must be used in HOME-funded TBRA activities.

Occupancy standards. HOME administrators should develop occupancy standards that specify the number of bedrooms needed by households of various sizes and composition.

Rent and lease requirements. The rent must be determined reasonable by the PJ and the lease must meet all requirements as listed in 24 CFR 92.253 (a) and (b).

Parameters of TBRA assistance. HOME TBRA contracts with individual households may not exceed two years but are renewable. HOME Program rules also establish a maximum TBRA payment and require the PJ to establish a minimum tenant payment.

Establishing a TBRA payment standard. All PJs administering TBRA programs must establish a payment standard. This payment standard places an upper limit on the amount of assistance that can be provided to tenants.

Ongoing PJ responsibilities for TBRA programs. PJs must ensure that property standards and occupancy requirements continue to be met. PJs must also review and approve rent increases by landlords renting to tenants in the TBRA program. In addition, PJs must reexamine participant family's income, size, and composition at least annually.