HUD HCV Guidebook § 2.5

Special Housing Types and SAFMRs (HUD HCV Guidebook)

HUD guidance — not codified law
In Force
Verified 11/9/2026 · Next check 11/16/2026
effective 9/25/2026FederalSection 8 HCV

Operative Text

HUD HCV Guidebook § 2.5
If use of the SAFMR has been designated for a metropolitan area or a PHA has voluntarily opted in to using
SAFMRs, the SAFMRs apply to all tenant-based vouchers, including special housing types, with the exception
of manufactured home space rentals under 24 CFR 982.622 through 982.624. Manufactured home space
rentals are exempt from SAFMRs, and payment standards for manufactured home space rentals continue to
be based on metropolitan area FMRs in accordance with 24 CFR 888.113(g).
All other special housing types are subject to the SAFMRs. For example, under the Single Room Occupancy
(SRO) special housing type, the payment standard is 75 percent of the 0-bedroom payment standard amount
on the PHA payment standard schedule. If the PHA revised the payment standard schedule because of the
applicability of SAFMRs, the payment standard for SRO units would likewise be revised to reflect 75 percent of
the applicable 0-bedroom payment standard amount.
Revisions to the payment standard as a result of the implementation of SAFMRs also apply to the voucher
homeownership program at 24 CFR 982.625 through 982.642. The PHA must use the same payment
standard schedule and payment standard amounts for the homeownership option as for the rental voucher
program.27 The same protections that the PHA may employ for families under HAP when the payment
standard decreases would apply to families assisted under the voucher homeownership option. Furthermore,
the payment standard for a voucher homeownership family is always the greater of the payment standard
used at the commencement of homeownership assistance for occupancy of the home or current payment
standard in effect at the most recent regular reexamination.28
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

HUD Housing Choice Voucher Guidebook § 2.5 establishes that when Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) apply to a metropolitan area or a PHA has opted in, they govern nearly all tenant-based vouchers and special housing types. The one exception is manufactured home space rentals, which remain tied to metropolitan area FMRs. All other special housing types—including Single Room Occupancy units and the voucher homeownership program—must use payment standards derived from the SAFMR-based schedule.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 26, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 2.5, housing providers participating in the Housing Choice Voucher program should be aware that SAFMR designations affect the payment standard calculations used for most special housing types, including SRO units. When a PHA revises its payment standard schedule due to SAFMRs, the derived amounts for special housing types adjust proportionally. Operators of manufactured home space rentals are the notable exception, as those units continue to use metropolitan area FMR-based payment standards.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Section § 2.5 means that if you hold a Housing Choice Voucher in an SAFMR-designated area, the payment standard used to calculate your housing assistance reflects local small-area rates for most unit types. Families in the voucher homeownership program benefit from a protection ensuring the payment standard is never less than the amount in effect when homeownership assistance began. Tenants with questions about how their specific payment standard was calculated can contact their PHA or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization for guidance.

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

Current
Sep 25, 2026
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Related Rules

§ 888.113
§ 888.113 Fair market rents for existing housing: Methodology.
§ 888.115
§ 888.115 Fair market rents for existing housing: Manner of publication.
§ 0770-01-05-.05
CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

Source Information

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