What is the difference between “Project Based Rental Assistance” and “Tenant Based Rental Assistance?
Both types of HUD Section 8 provide rental assistance or rental subsidies. In both cases, the government enters into a contract with a landlord to guarantee a certain contract rent for a housing unit either a house or an apartment. To income-qualify for the program, the tenant must not earn more than a specified amount adjusted for family size and meet other criteria for participation in the program. The tenant then will pay 30% of his income toward the combined total of rent and utilities, and the government will pay the remainder of the contract rent. Project-based Section 8 applies to apartments at a specific location. Any applicant for these apartments must qualify for the program and will receive rental assistance if they qualify for such. When the tenant moves, the subsidy contract remains with the apartment, hence project-based. Housing Choice Vouchers are tenant-based. That means that they are issued for a specific tenant rather than tied to a particular apartment. The tenant c
