24 C.F.R. § 5.516
§ 5.516 Availability of preservation assistance to mixed families and other families. (24 CFR Part 5)
Operative Text
(a) Assistance available for tenant mixed families—(1) General. Preservation assistance is available to tenant mixed families, following completion of the appeals and informal hearing procedures provided in § 5.514. There are three types of preservation assistance: (i) Continued assistance (see paragraph (a) of § 5.518); (ii) Temporary deferral of termination of assistance (see paragraph (b) of § 5.518); or (iii) Prorated assistance (see § 5.520, a mixed family must be provided prorated assistance if the family so requests). (2) Availability of assistance—(i) For Housing covered programs: One of the three types of assistance described is available to tenant mixed families assisted under a National Housing Act or 1965 HUD Act covered program, depending upon the family's eligibility for such assistance. Continued assistance must be provided to a mixed family that meets the conditions for eligibility for continued assistance. (ii) For Section 8 or Public Housing covered programs. One of the three types of assistance described may be available to tenant mixed families assisted under a Section 8 or Public Housing covered program. (b) Assistance available for applicant mixed families. Prorated assistance is also available for mixed families applying for assistance as provided in § 5.520. (c) Assistance available to other families in occupancy. Temporary deferral of termination of assistance may be available to families receiving assistance under a Section 214 covered program on June 19, 1995, and who have no members with eligible immigration status, as set forth in paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section. (1) For Housing covered programs: Temporary deferral of termination of assistance is available to families assisted under a Housing covered program. (2) For Section 8 or Public Housing covered programs: The responsible entity may make temporary deferral of termination of assistance to families assisted under a Section 8 or Public Housing covered program. (d) Section 8 covered programs: Discretion afforded to provide certain family preservation assistance—(1) Project owners. With respect to assistance under a Section 8 Act covered program administered by a project owner, HUD has the discretion to determine under what circumstances families are to be provided one of the two statutory forms of assistance for preservation of the family (continued assistance or temporary deferral of assistance). HUD is exercising its discretion by specifying the standards in this section under which a project owner must provide one of these two types of assistance to a family. However, project owners and PHAs must offer prorated assistance to eligible mixed families. (2) PHAs. The PHA, rather than HUD, has the discretion to determine the circumstances under which a family will be offered one of the two statutory forms of assistance (continued assistance or temporary deferral of termination of assistance). The PHA must establish its own policy and criteria to follow in making its decision. In establishing the criteria for granting continued assistance or temporary deferral of termination of assistance, the PHA must incorporate the statutory criteria, which are set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of § 5.518. However, the PHA must offer prorated assistance to eligible families.
Under 24 CFR Part 5 § 5.516, federal housing assistance programs must make certain preservation options available to "mixed families" — households that include both members with eligible immigration status and members without it. Three forms of preservation assistance exist: continued assistance, temporary deferral of termination of assistance, and prorated assistance. Which options are available depends on the type of program involved (Housing covered programs, Section 8, or Public Housing), and in some cases on whether the family is already receiving assistance or is applying for it. Families with no members holding eligible immigration status who were receiving assistance as of June 19, 1995, may also qualify for temporary deferral under certain program types.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and project owners administering Section 8 covered programs operate under § 5.516, which sets out when preservation assistance must or may be offered to mixed families. Compliant operators generally ensure that prorated assistance is offered to any eligible mixed family that requests it, as this is a mandatory obligation regardless of program type. For continued assistance or temporary deferral, project owners follow HUD-established standards to determine eligibility, and they typically maintain documentation of the appeals and informal hearing process under § 5.514 before any preservation assistance determination is finalized.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 5.516, mixed families have federally recognized rights to be considered for at least one form of preservation assistance — continued assistance, temporary deferral, or prorated assistance — before their housing assistance is terminated. Tenants in Housing covered programs may be entitled to continued assistance if they meet the eligibility conditions, while prorated assistance must be offered to any eligible mixed family that requests it across program types. Tenants who believe they have not been properly offered preservation assistance options can raise this as a concern through their local Public Housing Authority, a HUD field office, or a tenant-rights organization familiar with Section 214 immigration-status rules.
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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