New RAD Resident Rights Videos
HUD has published two new resident-focused videos on the RAD resident rights. The “Resident Engagement” video covers the RAD conversion process, resident rights, including the right to organize, and how residents can participate in the process. The “Rents and Leases” video covers the calculation of rent under a Section 8 contract, why a new lease must be signed, and the RAD resident rights that are communicated in the lease. Both videos are tailored for residents -- but may be useful to PHAs, property owners, and advocates -- along with the RAD Resident Fact Sheets. If you have questions about RAD resident rights, reach out to our Resident Engagement and Protections team at rad@hud.gov.
Updated RAD Contract Rents Now Available
HUD recently published the 2024 RAD Rents that are used to determine the initial contract rents in the Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract for new applications for public housing properties converting under RAD. Starting January 1, 2025, the 2024 RAD Rents will be used for any new commitments to enter into HAP (CHAPs) or Portfolio awards. The 2024 RAD Rents are adjusted by the recently published 2025 Operating Cost Adjustment Factors. RAD Rents are re-established every two years based on Congressional appropriations to the public housing accounts. These rents are based on the Operating and Capital Fund levels provided in Fiscal Year 2024.
Training for FFRMS
Register now for part 3 of a webinar series on the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) Regulation, to be held on December 17th from 2-3:30 PM ET. This is the third webinar in the series on FFRMS and the topics include defining elevation in Coastal AE zones; calculating costs and structural value for substantial improvements; example 8-step notification language; considering sites with floodways under 55.8; and alternate processing for nonconforming sites via 55.21. HUD previously held two webinars, part 1 and part 2, on defining the FFRMS floodplain.
New RAD Evaluations Show the Positive Impacts of RAD for Residents and PHAs
Following a RAD evaluation published in 2019 on early RAD conversions, HUD conducted a second comprehensive evaluation. This evaluation was conducted to further our understanding of RAD's impact on residents' lives, how RAD has been implemented by PHAs, and whether it improves PHA efficiencies and leads to better residents' experiences. As a result of this second evaluation, four new studies were published.
Key Findings:
- Residents continue to pay an affordable rent. The study found that, after RAD conversion, the share of adjusted household income spent on rent and utilities remained steady, at just over 30 percent on average and that changes in tenant payments tracked changes in income. While a very small share of residents who had been paying a “flat rent” in the public housing program saw an increase in rent (up to 30 percent of income), this group had exit rates that were similar or lower than typical exit rates in HUD's assisted portfolio. Additionally, the “flat rent” increases did not correlate with a loss of housing.
- The use of the Choice Mobility option has remained low (under 2 percent) due to resident satisfaction with RAD. The most common reason residents gave for not requesting a tenant-based voucher was general satisfaction with residents' homes. However, there also was a substantial number of residents unaware of the option to request a tenant-based voucher. (Last year, as early results of this study were emerging, HUD published a Choice-Mobility Guidebook for PHAs, owners, and residents, on effective implementation of the Choice-Mobility option). Those who did use a voucher, tended to move to lower poverty neighborhoods.
- The vast majority of PHAs retained ownership of RAD conversions, either directly through an affiliated entity or through a low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) entity in which the PHA is the sole general partner or managing member. PHAs implemented many asset management strategies consistent with industry best practices that tend to benefit short-term priorities, such as budgeting and compliance, over more long-term ones, such as strategic planning. PHAs overwhelmingly report that their properties were in a better asset management and operations position for long-term preservation than before RAD.
- The majority of PHAs included in the study experienced organizational change, but some PHAs did not consider RAD to be a causal factor of organizational change. Instead, they viewed it as one component of a larger plan or transformation of their PHA. Most PHAs had positive experiences with their conversions, but a small percentage found the process challenging and reported wanting more guidance and training.
Read more about these findings by accessing each of the evaluations through the links provided below:
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