24 C.F.R. § 5.3001
§ 5.3001 Automatic propagation of OMB's Core Based Statistical Area Standards. (24 CFR Part 5)
Operative Text
When using Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs), HUD shall use the 2020 CBSA standards adopted by the Office of Management and Budget and published in the Federal Register on July 16, 2021, as well as any subsequent updates to the CBSA delineations based on these standards made by the Office of Management and Budget. Purposes and programs that use the CBSA standards include, but are not limited to: (a) The Community Development Block Grant Program (24 CFR part 570); (b) The Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds (applicable appropriations and Federal Register notices); (c) The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (24 CFR part 574); (d) The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (24 CFR part 92); (e) The Continuum of Care Program (24 CFR part 578); (f) The Emergency Solutions Grants Program (24 CFR part 576); (g) The FHA Title II Program (National Housing Act of 1934 Title II); (h) The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Program (42 U.S.C. 1437v, as applied by the applicable annual appropriations act(s); 24 CFR 905.602(d)); (i) The Housing Trust Fund Program (24 CFR part 93); and (j) The calculation of: Fair Market Rents (24 CFR part 888); HUD Area Median Family Income (this part); Income Limits (this part); Difficult Development Areas; and Qualified Census Tracts.
Under 24 CFR Part 5 § 5.3001, HUD is required to apply the Office of Management and Budget's 2020 Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) standards — first published in the Federal Register on July 16, 2021 — along with any later OMB updates to those geographic boundaries. These CBSA delineations serve as the geographic framework for a wide range of federal housing programs and calculations, including Fair Market Rents, Area Median Family Income, and Income Limits. In effect, whenever HUD draws geographic lines to administer covered programs, it must use this standardized, automatically updating set of boundaries rather than independently defined regions.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers participating in programs governed by 24 CFR Part 5 § 5.3001 — such as HOME, CDBG, Housing Trust Fund, or FHA Title II — should be aware that HUD's geographic classifications follow OMB's 2020 CBSA standards and update automatically as OMB revises those delineations. A compliant operator generally monitors whether a property's metropolitan or micropolitan area classification has shifted, since such changes can affect program eligibility thresholds, Fair Market Rents, and Income Limits used to qualify residents or set rents. Staying current with HUD's published CBSA updates helps ensure that program calculations — such as Difficult Development Area designations — reflect the most current geographic boundaries.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
For tenants in HUD-assisted or HUD-regulated housing, 24 CFR Part 5 § 5.3001 establishes that key figures affecting their housing costs and eligibility — including Fair Market Rents, Area Median Family Income, and Income Limits — are calculated using standardized geographic boundaries that can change over time as OMB updates its CBSA delineations. If a tenant believes their rent, subsidy, or eligibility determination was based on an incorrect geographic area, that concern can generally be raised with the administering housing agency or local program office. Tenant-rights organizations and HUD's regional offices can help explain how CBSA classifications apply to specific programs like the Continuum of Care (24 CFR part 578) or Emergency Solutions Grants (24 CFR part 576).
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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