HOME-Funded Rental Housing is affordable rental housing that has been developed, acquired, rehabilitated, or preserved using funds from the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program. HOME does not operate as one national apartment application. Instead, HUD provides HOME funds to participating State and local jurisdictions, and those jurisdictions use the money to support specific affordable rental projects that are operated by property owners or management companies.
For renters, the practical result is that HOME assistance is attached to designated apartments or projects rather than issued as a portable voucher. A household normally applies to the property, owner, management company, or local application system responsible for a particular HOME-assisted development. Income eligibility, rent limits, waiting lists, unit availability, preferences, utilities, documentation, and leasing procedures can therefore vary by location and property.
The HOME program remains a federal affordable-housing framework, but the existence of HOME funding does not mean a specific property is accepting applications today. Current availability must always be verified with the participating jurisdiction and the actual property.
What Is HOME-Funded Rental Housing?
The HOME Investment Partnerships Program provides federal funds to participating jurisdictions, commonly called PJs, to support affordable housing for low-income households. States, cities, counties, and qualifying consortia can use HOME funds for several housing activities, including rental housing development.
In the rental context, HOME funds can help finance:
- New construction of affordable rental housing.
- Rehabilitation of existing rental properties.
- Acquisition of properties that will become HOME-assisted housing.
- Preservation of existing affordable housing.
- Eligible project costs connected with long-term affordable rental housing.
The project then operates under HOME requirements for a defined affordability period. During that period, designated HOME-assisted units must comply with applicable income, rent, property, occupancy, monitoring, and other program requirements.
HOME therefore works primarily as a housing-development and affordability program. It is not simply a monthly rent-payment program for every tenant who meets an income limit.
Who Administers HOME Rental Housing?
HOME rental housing involves several levels of administration. Understanding who controls each decision helps applicants avoid contacting the wrong agency.
HUD
HUD administers the federal HOME program, establishes the federal regulations, publishes income and rent limits, oversees participating jurisdictions, and issues program guidance.
HUD does not normally select individual tenants for HOME-assisted apartments and does not operate one nationwide HOME rental waiting list.
Participating Jurisdictions
The participating jurisdiction is the State or local government entity that receives and administers HOME funds.
A PJ can determine how HOME funds are used locally, select projects, enter into written agreements, establish local procedures, monitor owners, approve rents, review compliance, inspect properties, and enforce HOME requirements.
The PJ is therefore one of the most important entities to identify when researching a HOME-assisted property.
Property Owners and Management Companies
Owners and management agents usually handle the renter-facing process. Depending on the project, they may advertise available apartments, maintain waiting lists, receive applications, verify household information, conduct permitted screening, execute leases, collect tenant rent, maintain the property, and communicate with residents.
A household can satisfy HOME program eligibility and still need to satisfy lawful owner screening requirements before being approved for tenancy.
There Is No National HOME Rental Housing Application
A renter cannot submit one federal HOME application and automatically be considered for all HOME-assisted apartments in the United States.
Applications are generally tied to a specific property or local housing system.
Depending on the jurisdiction, a household may apply through:
- The property's leasing office.
- An authorized property-management company.
- A project-specific online application.
- A local affordable-housing portal.
- A participating jurisdiction or local housing department.
- A property waiting list.
- A lottery or coordinated marketing process when local requirements use one.
An application submitted to one HOME-assisted development usually does not place the household on every other HOME property list.
How to Find HOME-Funded Rental Housing Near You
The strongest search method begins with the local HOME administrator rather than with a generic apartment search.
- Identify the State, city, county, or consortium that administers HOME funds in the area.
- Review the jurisdiction's housing or community-development information.
- Look for HOME-assisted rental projects, affordable-housing inventories, funding records, or project lists.
- Identify specific properties that actually received HOME rental funding.
- Confirm the current owner or management company.
- Ask whether HOME-assisted units are currently available.
- Check whether the waiting list is open.
- Confirm the correct application method.
- Save proof of every application or inquiry.
The broader Affordable Rental and Subsidized Housing Programs guide can help you determine whether HOME rental housing or another assisted-housing pathway better matches your situation.
Verify That the Property Is Actually HOME-Assisted
The words “affordable,” “income restricted,” and “low income” do not automatically mean that a property is funded through HOME.
A development may instead be financed through LIHTC, the Housing Trust Fund, local inclusionary housing, tax-exempt bonds, public housing, Project-Based Vouchers, Project-Based Rental Assistance, or several programs at the same time.
Evidence that a property is HOME-assisted can include:
- A participating-jurisdiction project record.
- A local HOME funding award.
- A HOME written agreement or regulatory document.
- An official State or local affordable-housing inventory.
- Property documents identifying HOME-assisted units.
- Official project financing records.
A property may legitimately have several funding sources. When that happens, every applicable program must be identified because the most restrictive requirement can matter to a particular unit.
Who Can Qualify for a HOME-Assisted Rental Unit?
HOME rental housing is intended for low-income households, but qualification depends on the HOME income rules, the specific project, the unit being offered, household size, and any additional funding restrictions.
Income limits are location-specific. A dollar amount used in one county or metropolitan area should not be used to decide eligibility in another area.
The property may need to verify:
- Total household income.
- Household composition.
- Employment income.
- Self-employment income.
- Social Security or retirement income.
- Benefits and other recurring income.
- Assets and income from assets under applicable rules.
- Student status where another program makes it relevant.
- Eligibility for a project-specific preference or restricted unit.
Do not rely only on take-home pay. HOME eligibility calculations use program definitions and verification rules that may differ from a household's own estimate of monthly disposable income.
2026 HOME Income Limits Must Be Checked Locally
HUD publishes HOME income limits annually. The 2026 limits became effective on June 1, 2026.
There is no single nationwide HOME income ceiling.
Before deciding whether a household may qualify, confirm:
- The property's location.
- The correct household size.
- The current HOME income limit.
- The income category assigned to the available HOME-assisted unit.
- Whether another funding program imposes a lower or different limit.
A household should not reject itself simply because an old advertisement shows a lower limit. Likewise, an applicant should not assume qualification because income falls below a figure published for another year or area.
HOME Projects Can Have Different Income Targets Within the Same Property
Not every HOME-assisted apartment within a development necessarily serves exactly the same income level.
Federal HOME rules require deeper targeting in certain rental projects. In projects with five or more HOME-assisted units, at least 20 percent of the HOME-assisted units generally must meet the program's very-low-income occupancy and Low HOME Rent requirements.
Other HOME-assisted units can operate under the applicable High HOME Rent and income requirements.
This means two HOME-assisted apartments in the same development may have different income targeting or rent restrictions.
Always ask which HOME designation applies to the specific unit being offered.
How HOME Rent Limits Work
HOME does not use one flat national rent amount. HUD publishes location-specific HOME rent limits, and the participating jurisdiction must ensure that HOME-assisted units comply with applicable rent requirements.
The program generally distinguishes between High HOME Rent and Low HOME Rent requirements.
For High HOME Rent units, the federal maximum is generally based on the lower of the applicable Fair Market Rent or a HOME calculation tied to a household at 65 percent of area median income, adjusted by unit size.
For qualifying Low HOME Rent units, a lower rent standard applies. The calculation can depend on the applicable 50 percent income level, the household's adjusted income, and whether qualifying project-based rental assistance is attached to the unit.
HUD's FY 2026 HOME rent limits became effective June 1, 2026.
Your HOME Rent Is Not Automatically 30 Percent of Your Actual Income
A common mistake is assuming that every HOME tenant pays exactly 30 percent of the household's actual monthly income.
HOME is primarily a property-based affordability program. Many HOME rent ceilings are calculated from area income assumptions rather than directly from the income of the household occupying the apartment.
As a result, the stated rent for a HOME-assisted unit can remain the same for two eligible households with different incomes.
The situation changes when another rental-assistance program applies. A tenant with a Housing Choice Voucher, Project-Based Voucher, Project-Based Rental Assistance, or another eligible rental subsidy can have a tenant payment calculated under that separate program.
Project-Based Rental Assistance Can Change the Rent Relationship
HOME-funded developments are frequently combined with other housing programs.
Current HOME rules allow certain HOME-assisted units receiving qualifying Federal or State project-based rental assistance to use the rent permitted by the rental-assistance program when applicable requirements are satisfied.
This is important because the total rent paid to the owner and the household's personal tenant contribution can become different amounts.
Applicants should therefore ask:
- Is this only a HOME-assisted unit?
- Does the unit also have project-based rental assistance?
- Which program calculates my tenant payment?
- What rent does the owner receive?
- Which utility allowance applies?
Utility Allowances Affect HOME Rent
When tenants pay utilities directly, the applicable utility allowance can affect the maximum permissible rent for a HOME-assisted unit.
Before accepting an apartment, confirm which utilities are included in the lease and which are the tenant's responsibility.
Ask the property to identify the utility allowance currently used for the HOME unit. A rent that appears to be below the HOME maximum can create a compliance issue if required tenant-paid utilities are ignored.
The 2025 HOME rule also created additional flexibility for participating jurisdictions in using certain PHA-established utility allowances, so the method used by the jurisdiction should be verified rather than assumed.
How the HOME Rental Application Process Usually Works
The exact process differs by property, but a typical applicant journey can include several separate decisions.
- Locate a verified HOME-assisted property.
- Confirm that the property or waiting list is open.
- Submit a preliminary or full application.
- Provide household and income information.
- Complete income verification.
- Satisfy any applicable occupancy or unit requirements.
- Complete owner screening.
- Receive a unit offer if an appropriate unit becomes available.
- Review the rent and utilities.
- Sign the lease and required property documents.
Passing one stage does not guarantee the next. Being placed on a waiting list is not the same as being selected, and being income-eligible is not the same as receiving a final tenancy approval.
Documents to Prepare Before Applying
HOME-assisted properties can require substantial documentation because the owner and participating jurisdiction must be able to support program eligibility and compliance.
Common document categories include:
- Identification for adult household members.
- Household-member information.
- Recent pay records.
- Employment verification.
- Social Security, pension, or benefit letters.
- Self-employment records.
- Asset and bank information.
- Documentation of other income sources.
- Rental-history information for owner screening.
- Documents supporting a local preference where applicable.
- Reasonable-accommodation documentation when required and appropriate.
Only provide sensitive documents through a verified application route connected to the real property, owner, management company, or participating jurisdiction.
The 2025 HOME Final Rule Changed Important Program Requirements
HUD substantially updated the HOME regulations in the 2025 HOME Final Rule.
Most of the rule became effective on April 20, 2025, although applicability depends on the specific regulatory provision, the date HOME funds were committed, the written agreement, and the relevant compliance deadline.
The changes included updated rental-housing rules, income procedures, property standards, inspection flexibilities, affordability provisions, and better coordination with other housing programs.
A property or local guide that relies entirely on pre-2025 HOME procedures may therefore be outdated.
Not Every 2025 HOME Rule Change Is in Effect
One of the most important 2026 compliance points is that HUD did not allow every provision of the 2025 rule to take effect on the same schedule.
As of August 9, 2026, certain amendments remain delayed indefinitely, including the revised requirements in 24 CFR 92.253 concerning tenant protections and selection and the additional provision in 24 CFR 92.250(c).
This distinction matters because summaries written when the 2025 rule was first published may state that a new mandatory HOME lease addendum and related revised tenant protections are already universally effective.
Do not rely on that assumption. The governing requirements must be checked against the currently effective version of the rule and the project's commitment date.
HOME Property Standards and Inspections Are Also Changing
HOME-assisted rental properties must satisfy applicable property-condition standards during the affordability period.
HUD is transitioning HOME and other Community Planning and Development programs to the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate, or NSPIRE.
As of August 2026, the mandatory HOME compliance date for the current NSPIRE implementation guidance is April 14, 2027.
That means a HOME project may still be operating under earlier inspection standards depending on when HOME funds were committed, the written agreement, and whether the jurisdiction adopted the newer standards early.
Residents should not wait for a scheduled compliance inspection before reporting dangerous conditions. Maintenance problems should be documented and reported to property management promptly.
Participating Jurisdictions Continue to Monitor HOME Properties
HOME affordability does not end when construction is completed.
The participating jurisdiction must continue monitoring the project during the required affordability period. Monitoring can involve:
- Rent compliance.
- Tenant income requirements.
- Unit occupancy.
- Property condition.
- Required inspections.
- Owner certifications.
- Financial and project records.
- Compliance with the HOME written agreement.
The owner therefore has continuing obligations after lease-up, and the PJ can take enforcement action when the property fails to meet applicable HOME requirements.
HOME Affordability Periods Can Last for Years
HOME rental assistance is tied to a required period of affordability established through the HOME regulatory and written-agreement structure.
The required period can depend on the type of project, the amount and nature of HOME assistance, the date of the HOME commitment, and the version of the regulations governing the project.
Some jurisdictions or financing agreements can impose restrictions that continue longer than the minimum federal period.
Tenants should therefore avoid assuming that an old HOME award means the property is still HOME-restricted indefinitely. Verify whether the affordability period is still active and whether another affordability program continues after HOME requirements end.
Income Reviews Can Continue After Move-In
HOME-assisted rental properties must continue to administer income requirements during the affordability period.
The frequency and method of income reexamination can depend on the property, project size, HOME commitment date, current HUD rules, and whether another housing program is layered into the property.
Residents should follow all official notices requesting income or household information and preserve copies of the documents they submit.
Do not assume that the recertification procedure at a LIHTC, PBV, or PBRA property automatically applies to a HOME-only unit.
What Happens If Household Income Increases?
A household that was properly eligible when admitted does not necessarily lose the apartment immediately because income later increases.
HOME has continuing occupancy and rent rules for households that become over-income, and the correct treatment depends on the property's structure and whether the unit is fixed or floating, whether another subsidy applies, and which HOME requirements govern the project.
A tenant whose income increases should comply with required reporting or recertification procedures and obtain the property's decision in writing rather than assuming that a raise automatically ends the tenancy.
HOME-Funded Rental Housing Is Not HOME TBRA
This distinction is critical.
HOME-Funded Rental Housing uses HOME money to create or preserve affordable rental properties and designated affordable units.
HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, commonly called HOME TBRA, uses HOME funds to provide eligible households with tenant-based rent, utility, or deposit assistance under a locally designed program.
With HOME rental housing, affordability is tied to the property or unit. With HOME TBRA, assistance is provided to the eligible household under a separate local rental-assistance structure.
Do not use a HOME TBRA application process to apply for an ordinary HOME-assisted apartment unless the local jurisdiction expressly combines the programs.
HOME Rental Housing Is Not LIHTC Housing
LIHTC is a federal tax-credit financing program administered through State housing credit agencies and property owners. HOME is a federal grant program administered through participating State and local jurisdictions.
The two programs are often combined in the same development.
When HOME and LIHTC are layered together, the property must comply with both sets of requirements. Income limits, rents, utility allowances, occupancy rules, verification requirements, affordability restrictions, and compliance monitoring must be reviewed together.
The existence of LIHTC financing does not cancel the HOME rules, and HOME funding does not eliminate the tax-credit restrictions.
HOME Rental Housing Is Not the Housing Trust Fund
The National Housing Trust Fund is a separate federal affordable-housing program with its own funding, income targeting, rent standards, grantee structure, and regulatory requirements.
A State or project can use both HOME and HTF resources, but the programs remain legally distinct.
HTF generally focuses more deeply on extremely low-income rental housing. A tenant should verify which program funds the specific unit rather than assuming the two names are interchangeable.
HOME Rental Housing Is Not Project-Based Section 8
A HOME-assisted property can also receive PBRA or PBV assistance, but HOME itself does not create a Section 8 rental subsidy.
A HOME-only apartment may have a restricted rent without a separate subsidy paying the difference between the tenant's contribution and the owner's rent.
By contrast, PBRA and PBV involve project-based rental assistance attached to designated units.
If a HOME property advertises “Section 8,” ask whether that means the property accepts tenant-based vouchers or whether project-based assistance is actually attached to particular units.
Reasonable Accommodations and Fair Housing Protections Apply
HOME-assisted housing remains subject to applicable Federal fair-housing and civil-rights requirements.
Applicants and residents can raise issues involving:
- Reasonable accommodations.
- Accessible units.
- Reasonable modifications.
- Assistance animals.
- Discriminatory advertising.
- Unequal application procedures.
- Discriminatory screening.
- Retaliation.
- Unequal treatment based on protected characteristics.
A reasonable-accommodation request should be directed to the property or entity that controls the policy involved. Keep copies of requests, responses, and supporting records.
Waiting Lists and Availability Must Be Verified Property by Property
A HOME project can be active and compliant even when its waiting list is closed.
A property may be:
- Accepting applications for immediate vacancies.
- Accepting applications for a waiting list.
- Temporarily closed to new applicants.
- Leasing only particular unit sizes.
- Offering only certain HOME income tiers.
- Using a lottery for newly marketed units.
- Referring applicants through another local affordable-housing system.
A funding award, construction completion announcement, or old property page does not prove that applications are open today.
What to Do If a HOME Application Is Denied
First identify who made the decision and why.
A denial may involve:
- HOME income eligibility.
- Missing or unverifiable income information.
- Household composition.
- Occupancy standards.
- A local preference.
- Owner screening.
- A missed application deadline.
- No appropriate unit currently available.
- A reasonable-accommodation dispute.
- Possible housing discrimination.
Request written information about the decision when possible and preserve the application, supporting documents, notices, emails, and calculations.
If the dispute concerns HOME compliance, identify the participating jurisdiction that funds or monitors the project. If the dispute concerns owner screening or the lease, the property and applicable State or local landlord-tenant rules may control. Fair-housing disputes follow their own civil-rights process.
Verify Local HOME Rules Before Applying
The federal HOME regulations establish the national framework, but participating jurisdictions make important local decisions about project selection, funding, administration, monitoring, and implementation.
Properties can also have additional restrictions created by:
- LIHTC financing.
- Housing Trust Fund assistance.
- Project-Based Vouchers.
- Project-Based Rental Assistance.
- Tax-exempt bond financing.
- State housing programs.
- Local affordability requirements.
- Recorded regulatory agreements.
For that reason, a HOME property in one city should not be treated as a template for every HOME property in another city.
Official Next Steps for HOME Rental Housing Applicants
- Identify the participating jurisdiction that administers HOME in the area.
- Find verified HOME-assisted rental properties.
- Confirm the current owner or management company.
- Verify that the HOME affordability restrictions are still active.
- Check whether the waiting list or application period is currently open.
- Identify the available unit's HOME income designation.
- Check the current 2026 HOME income limits for the location and household size.
- Confirm the applicable rent and tenant-paid utilities.
- Ask whether another housing subsidy or funding program also applies.
- Prepare household, income, asset, and screening documents.
- Apply through the property's authorized application route.
- Save proof of submission and keep contact information current.
- Respond to verification requests before the stated deadline.
- Before signing, review the lease, rent, utilities, unit restrictions, and property rules.
- During occupancy, complete required income reviews and report required household changes.
- Document maintenance problems and communicate them to property management.
- If a dispute occurs, determine whether the responsible entity is the owner, management company, participating jurisdiction, another housing program, or a fair-housing authority.
HOME-Funded Rental Housing is a permanent federal affordable-housing pathway, but apartment availability is local and property-specific. Income limits, rent limits, utility allowances, participating-jurisdiction policies, property managers, waiting-list status, application systems, inspection requirements, and layered funding rules can change. Verify current information with the responsible participating jurisdiction and the actual property before applying. A HOME funding award, open waiting list, completed application, income qualification, or owner review never guarantees immediate housing.