HUD Handbook 7465.1 § 6-1
AGREEMENT WITH SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY (HUD Public Housing Occupancy Handbook 7465.1)
Operative Text
a. POLICY
(1) A PHA may (but is not required to) enter into an
agreement with a social service agency to provide
support services to applicants who need special
help in order to establish a tenancy. A PHA may
also enter into an agreement with a social service
agency to manage a project or certain designated
units within a project on the PHA's behalf.
(2) If an applicant's tenancy is to be dependent on
participating in a social service agency's
program, the circumstances must be explained to
the applicant and the arrangement must be
incorporated into the lease.
(3) Applicants who can become public housing tenants
without help from a social service agency cannot
be required to participate in the social service
agency's program.
(4) Public housing is housing first. The service
component, if necessary, must play an auxiliary
role.
(5) The persons admitted must become tenants of the
PHA with all the rights and responsibilities that
entails.
(6) In cases where a social service agency is
assisting a PHA in evaluating applicants and
selecting tenants, the PHA may not permit the
social service agency to give its clients a higher
priority for admission than similar persons who
are not its clients.
(7) A PHA which has entered into an agreement with a
social service agency remains ultimately
responsible to HUD for all aspects of management.
b. DISCUSSION
(1) Agreements with social service agencies can be
helpful in broadening the public housing
population to include eligible persons who could
not otherwise be assisted. For example, such
agreements might enable a PHA to house more
persons who:
(a) are handicapped, especially those who are
mentally, developmentally, or emotionally
handicapped; or
(b) have special problems such as persons who
have been homeless or victims of domestic
violence.
(2) Some of the functions which the social service
agency could perform are:
(a) assisting the PHA in evaluating applicants
and selecting tenants;
(b) collecting rents, security deposits, and any
other charges;
(c) checking to tee if the tenants are properly
maintaining their units;
(d) helping the tenants to run their households,
including managing their money;
(e) providing special programs such as counseling
and job training; and
(f) providing crisis intervention--removing a
tenant quickly but temporarily in order to
get treatment, without affecting the lease.
(3) If the social service agency can serve members of
a specific target population such as the mentally
handicapped, wherever they might live in a project
or projects, there would be no need to designate
certain units for that target population and no
need for the PHA to establish a separate waiting
list for the m.
(4) If the PHA finds it necessary or desirable to
designate certain units for occupancy by members
of a specific target population, the PHA may
establish a separate community-wide waiting list
for just those units, but applicants on such lists
way also be on the PHA's general community-wide
list if they are qualified.
(5) A PHA which is considering setting aside units to
accommodate persons with a particular handicap or
need should keep in mind the demands of all lower
income families in the community and the
constraints on the available housing stock.
(6) A PHA which is considering entering into an
agreement with a social service agency should make
sure that the organization
is reliable and fiscally sound. The agency's
failure to live up to its agreement with the PHA
could result in serious problems for both the PHA
and the tenants.
(7) Before entering into an agreement with a social
service agency, the PHA may want to discuss the
matter with the local HUD office to make sure it
would be in keeping with the statute and
regulations.HUD Handbook 7465.1 REV-2 CHG-2 § 6-1 establishes that Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) have the option—but not the obligation—to partner with social service agencies to help certain applicants establish tenancies or to assist in managing units. Under this provision, public housing operates on a "housing first" basis, meaning any social services play a supporting rather than a primary role. Applicants who do not need social service assistance cannot be compelled to participate in such programs, and all admitted residents must hold full tenant rights and responsibilities regardless of any agency involvement.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under HUD Handbook 7465.1 REV-2 CHG-2 § 6-1, a PHA that chooses to partner with a social service agency generally ensures that any service-participation requirement is clearly disclosed to the applicant and written into the lease. Compliant operators do not allow a partnering agency to give its own clients a priority advantage over similarly situated applicants who are not agency clients. Even when a social service agency handles day-to-day functions such as rent collection or unit inspections, the PHA retains ultimate accountability to HUD for all management aspects, so due diligence on the agency's reliability and financial soundness is a standard part of the arrangement.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
HUD Handbook 7465.1 REV-2 CHG-2 § 6-1 makes clear that public housing is "housing first," meaning a PHA cannot make your tenancy contingent on social service participation unless that requirement is explicitly explained to you and incorporated into your lease. If you are capable of establishing a tenancy without agency assistance, you cannot be required to enroll in any social service program. Tenants who believe a PHA or its partner agency has improperly conditioned housing access or given unfair admission priority to agency clients may consider raising the issue with their local HUD office or contacting a tenant-rights organization for general guidance on available options.
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 26, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.