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Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD)


RAD was created in order to give public housing authorities (PHAs) a powerful tool to preserve and improve public housing properties and address the $26 billion dollar nationwide backlog of deferred maintenance. RAD also gives owners of three HUD "legacy" program (Rent Supplement, Rental Assistance Payment, and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation) the opportunity to enter into long-term contracts that facilitate the financing of improvements.

Five Things You Should Know About Public Housing Conversions
  1. RAD allows public housing agencies to leverage public and private debt and equity in order to reinvest in the public housing stock. This is critical given the backlog of public housing capital needs - estimated at over $35 billion.
  2. In RAD, units move to a Section 8 platform with a long-term contract that, by law, must be renewed in perpetuity. A Use Agreement is also recorded under RAD further enforcing HUD’s long-term interest. This ensures that the units remain permanently affordable to low-income households.
  3. Residents benefit from a right of return, a prohibition against re-screening, and robust notification and relocation rights. Residents continue to pay 30% of their adjusted income towards the rent, maintain the same basic rights as they possess in the public housing program, and gain a new option to request tenant-based assistance if they wish to subsequently move from the property.
  4. RAD maintains the ongoing public stewardship of the converted property through clear rules requiring ongoing ownership or control by a public or non-profit entity.
  5. RAD is highly cost-effective, relying on shifting existing levels of public housing funds to the Section 8 accounts as properties convert.
RAD What's New
  • RAD is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the first public housing conversion. From preserving 32 homes in its first conversion that closed in September 2013 to approximately 200,000 homes today, RAD has accomplished some great milestones over the years - hitting $5 billion in capital investments in 2017, $15 billion in 2022, and more than $18 billion today. Read reflections from the Director of the Office of Recapitalization on the past 10-years of this demonstration program. (November 20, 2023)
  • New Photo Essay. The Brenham Housing Authority turned to the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program and was able to finance rehabilitation, demolition, new construction, and temporary relocation of residents in order to transform its depleted housing into a beautiful and sustainable public resource for current and future generations. To view more photo essays, visit the web page. (November 9, 2023)
  • New Training Available on Resident Engagement Updates in the 2023 RAD Supplemental. The recorded training explains changes such as the requirement for additional resident meetings and required documents to be submitted in accordance with the new 2023 RAD Supplemental Notice (published July 27, 2023). The changes to resident engagement requirements go into effect on September 20, 2023. For more information visit the RAD Public Housing Residents web page. (September 13, 2023)
  • New Photo Essay. The Wicomico Housing Authority in Maryland used RAD to replace its single public housing development with multiple properties in and around the city of Salisbury, creating new integrated housing opportunities throughout Wicomico County. To view more photo essays, visit the web page. (September 7, 2023)
RAD More Information
  • Want to know more about how RAD preserves affordable housing? Read our 2-pager, "Rental Assistance Demonstration: An Overview,” on how the RAD program works.
  • For guidance related to Multifamily policies to owners (including Public Housing Agencies) who will be or have previously converted their projects to Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) authorized under RAD, visit the RAD PBRA Post Closing web page. 
  • Residents, want to know more about RAD? Our web page, "What is RAD?" provides a glimpse of helpful information.
  • RAD for PRAC training videos are available. For more information visit our web page.
  • Looking for a Notice, Quick-Reference Guide, or another RAD Tool? Visit our RAD Statutes, Notices, Regulations & Tools web page for more information.
  • RAD data is available to the public. Visit the RAD Resource Desk and click on “Data and Resources.”
  • RAD Photo Essays documents a series of resident experience for properties that go through a RAD conversion.
  • The RADBlast!, an electronic communication sent to subscribers of our mailing list is now available online.
  • Contact us: RAD for Public Housing (rad@hud.gov) or RAD for Multifamily Housing (rad2@hud.gov).