§ 982.517 - Utility allowance schedule.

§ 982.517 Utility allowance schedule.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 38302, May 7, 2024.

(a) Maintaining schedule.

(1) The PHA must maintain a utility allowance schedule for all tenant-paid utilities (except telephone), for cost of tenant-supplied refrigerators and ranges, and for other tenant-paid housing services (e.g., trash collection (disposal of waste and refuse)).

(2) The PHA must give HUD provide a copy of the utility allowance schedule to HUD. At HUD's request, the PHA also must provide any information or procedures used in preparation of the schedule.

(b) How allowances are determined.

(1) The utility allowance schedule must be determined based on the typical cost of utilities and services paid by energy-conservative households that occupy housing of similar size and type in the same locality. In developing the schedule, the PHA must use normal patterns of consumption for the community as a whole and current utility rates.

(

2)(

i) A PHA's utility allowance schedule, and the utility allowance for an individual family, must include the utilities and services that are necessary in the locality to provide housing that complies with

the housing quality standards. However, the PHA may not provide any allowance for non-essential utility costs, such as costs of cable or satellite television

HQS. The PHA's utility allowance schedule and utility allowance for families must also include any utilities and services required by HUD after publication in the Federal Register for public comment.

(ii) In the utility allowance schedule, the PHA must classify utilities and other housing services according to the following general categories: space heating; air conditioning; cooking; water heating; water; sewer; trash collection (disposal of waste and refuse); other electric; refrigerator (cost of tenant-supplied refrigerator); range (cost of tenant-supplied range); applicable surcharges; and other specified housing services.

(iii) The PHA must provide a utility allowance for tenant-paid air-conditioning costs if the majority of housing units in the market provide centrally air-conditioned units or there is appropriate wiring for tenant-installed air conditioners.

(

3) The cost of each utility and housing service category must be stated separately. For each of these categories, the utility allowance schedule must take into consideration unit size (by number of bedrooms), and unit types (e.g., apartment, row-house, town house, single-family detached, and manufactured housing) that are typical in the community.(4) The utility allowance schedule must be prepared and submitted in accordance with HUD requirements on the form prescribed by HUD

iv) The PHA may not provide any allowance for non-essential utility costs, such as costs of cable or satellite television.

(2)

(i) The PHA must maintain an area-wide utility allowance schedule. The area-wide utility allowance schedule must be determined based on the typical cost of utilities and services paid by energy-conservative households that occupy housing of similar size and type in the same locality. In developing the schedule, the PHA must use normal patterns of consumption for the community as a whole and current utility rates.

(ii) The PHA may maintain an area-wide, energy-efficient utility allowance schedule to be used for units that are in a building that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Energy Star standards. HUD may subsequently identify additional Energy Savings Design standards or criteria for applying the allowance to retrofitted units in a building that does not meet the standard, which will be modified or added through a document published in the Federal Register for 30 days of public comment, followed by a final document announcing the modified standards and the date on which the modifications take effect. The energy-efficient utility allowance (EEUA) schedule is to be maintained in addition to, not in place of, the area-wide utility allowance schedule described in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section, unless all units within a PHA's jurisdiction meet one or more of the required standards.

(iii) The PHA may base its utility allowance payments on actual flat fees charged by an owner for utilities that are billed directly by the owner, but only if the flat fee charged by the owner is no greater than the PHA's applicable utility allowance for the utilities covered by the fee. If an owner charges a flat fee for only some of the utilities, then the PHA must pay a separate allowance for any tenant-paid utilities that are not covered in the flat fee.

(iv) For tenant-based participants residing in units within a project that has an approved project-specific utility allowance under § 983.301(f)(4), the PHA must use the project-specific utility allowance schedule (see 24 CFR 983.301(f)(4)).

(v) The PHA must state its policy for utility allowance payments in its Administrative Plan and apply it consistently to all similarly situated households.

(c) Revisions of utility allowance schedule.

(1) A PHA must review its schedule of utility allowances each year, and must revise its allowance for a utility category if there has been a change of 10 percent or more in the utility rate since the last time the utility allowance schedule was revised. The PHA must maintain information supporting its annual review of utility allowances and any revisions made in its utility allowance schedule.

(2) At HUD's direction, the PHA must revise the utility allowance schedule to correct any errors, or as necessary to update the schedule.

(d) Use of utility allowance schedule. The PHA must use the appropriate utility allowance for the lesser of the size of dwelling unit actually leased by the family or the family unit size as determined under the PHA subsidy standards. In cases where the unit size leased exceeds the family unit size as determined under the PHA subsidy standards as a result of a reasonable accommodation, the PHA must use the appropriate utility allowance for the size of the dwelling unit actually leased by the family.

(e) Higher utility allowance as reasonable accommodation for a person with disabilities. On request from a family household that includes a person with disabilities, the PHA must approve a utility allowance which is higher than the applicable amount on the utility allowance schedule if a higher utility allowance is needed as a reasonable accommodation in accordance with under 24 CFR part 8, the Fair Housing Act and 24 CFR part 100, or Titles II or III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and 28 CFR parts 35 and 36, to make the program accessible to and usable by the family household member with a disability.

(Information collection requirements contained in this section have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 2577-0169.)

[63 FR 23861, Apr. 30, 1998, as amended at 80 FR 8247, Feb. 17, 2015; 81 FR 12377, Mar. 8, 2016; 89 FR 38302, May 7, 2024]