Federal Housing Administration (FHA): Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance: Standard Program Regulation and Renewal Contract; Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Request for Public Comment

The Office of Multifamily Housing Programs (MFH) seeks comments from the public regarding an initiative under which MFH, in partnership with owners, tenants, and other program stakeholders, would move toward a single Section 8 program regulation and single contract form pursuant to which the Secretary would renew project-based Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contracts under section 524 of the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (MAHRA). Section 524 authorizes the Secretary to establish the terms and conditions under which expiring contracts are renewed, subject to the requirements of section 524. Currently, the Secretary issues one of several section 524 renewal contracts, which is subject to one of seven Section 8 regulatory parts under which the original contract was issued, as well as other HUD regulations implementing section 524. To reduce regulatory complexities, MFH envisions promulgating a single Section 8 project-based rental assistance program regulation consisting of a standardized set of Section 8 program requirements and a single form of section 524 renewal contract.