The number of federally-assisted rentals was compiled by the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) using data received from multiple agencies including HUD, USDA Rural Development, and local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs). Low-Income and Extremely Low-Income rental assistance is displayed separately. Generally, Low-Income Units are affordable to households with income at or below 60% of area median income. Extremely Low-Income Units are the subset of Low-Income Units that are affordable to households with income at or below 30% of area median income.

 

"Low-Income Units" include those assisted through the following federal low-income housing project-based subsidies: 1) HUD Programs -- Public Housing, Section 8, Section 202, Section 236 and Section 221d3 BMIR; 2) USDA Rural Development Programs -- Section 515 Interest Credit; and 3) IRS Programs -- Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and AMT Bonds. "Extremely Low-Income Units" are the subset of Low-Income Units that are affordable to households with income at or below 30% of area median income due to the following federal project-based rent or operating subsidies: 1) HUD Programs -- Public Housing Operating Subsidies; Section 8 and similar HUD rent subsidies; and Section 202 PRAC; and 2) USDA Rural Development Programs -- Section 515 Rental Assistance.

 

The inventory also includes the number of tenant-based deep rental subsidies (mainly Housing Choice Vouchers). It should be noted, that Voucher holders are able to use their rental assistance in properties assisted through federal project-based subsidy programs so long as the unit they rent does not have a project-based rent or operating subsidy assigned to it. For example, voucher holders frequently rent units in properties developed with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. Therefore, adding tenant-based unit counts to the overall inventory of low-income units with project-based assistance will result in overcounting the true size of the inventory. However, tenant-based and project-based rent subsidy units can be added together to determine the overall inventory of units affordable to extremely low-income households since there is no overlap in their use.

 

Note: This inventory only includes traditional apartment developments. It does not include specialized housing with occupancy restricted to specific targeted populations (other than seniors) such as group homes, SROs, transitional housing, congregate housing, etc. Among the federal programs excluded are Section 811, HOPWA and McKinney Act Homeless programs. Also excluded are Section 202 and Section 8 developments that are restricted to disability occupancy (primarily group homes). In addition, the inventory does not capture units financed with HOME or CDBG funds unless those units also used other subsidy programs such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits or AMT Bonds. This data may not match that provided directly by subsidy program administrators due to the necessity of reconciling minor data differences among various data sources--e.g., minor data differences among agencies where multiple subsidies are layered within the same property.