[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 24, Volume 4]
[Revised as of April 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 24CFR982.517]

[Page 618-619]
 
                 TITLE 24--HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
 
CHAPTER IX--OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING, 
               DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
 
PART 982_SECTION 8 TENANT BASED ASSISTANCE: HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM--Table of Contents
 
              Subpart K_Rent and Housing Assistance Payment
 
Sec. 982.517  Utility allowance schedule.

    (a) Maintaining schedule. (1) The PHA must maintain a utility 
allowance schedule for all tenant-paid utilities (except telephone), for 
cost of tenant-supplied refrigerators and ranges, and for other tenant-
paid housing services (e.g., trash collection (disposal of waste and 
refuse)).
    (2) The PHA must give HUD a copy of the utility allowance schedule. 
At HUD's request, the PHA also must provide any information or 
procedures used in preparation of the schedule.

[[Page 619]]

    (b) How allowances are determined. (1) The utility allowance 
schedule must be determined based on the typical cost of utilities and 
services paid by energy-conservative households that occupy housing of 
similar size and type in the same locality. In developing the schedule, 
the PHA must use normal patterns of consumption for the community as a 
whole and current utility rates.
    (2)(i) a PHA's utility allowance schedule, and the utility allowance 
for an individual family, must include the utilities and services that 
are necessary in the locality to provide housing that complies with the 
housing quality standards. However, the PHA may not provide any 
allowance for non-essential utility costs, such as costs of cable or 
satellite television.
    (ii) In the utility allowance schedule, the PHA must classify 
utilities and other housing services according to the following general 
categories: space heating; air conditioning; cooking; water heating; 
water; sewer; trash collection (disposal of waste and refuse); other 
electric; refrigerator (cost of tenant-supplied refrigerator); range 
(cost of tenant-supplied range); and other specified housing services. 
The PHA must provide a utility allowance for tenant-paid air-
conditioning costs if the majority of housing units in the market 
provide centrally air-conditioned units or there is appropriate wiring 
for tenant-installed air conditioners.
    (3) The cost of each utility and housing service category must be 
stated separately. For each of these categories, the utility allowance 
schedule must take into consideration unit size (by number of bedrooms), 
and unit types (e.g., apartment, row-house, town house, single-family 
detached, and manufactured housing) that are typical in the community.
    (4) The utility allowance schedule must be prepared and submitted in 
accordance with HUD requirements on the form prescribed by HUD.
    (c) Revisions of utility allowance schedule. (1) a PHA must review 
its schedule of utility allowances each year, and must revise its 
allowance for a utility category if there PHAs been a change of 10 
percent or more in the utility rate since the last time the utility 
allowance schedule was revised. The PHA must maintain information 
supporting its annual review of utility allowances and any revisions 
made in its utility allowance schedule.
    (2) At HUD's direction, the PHA must revise the utility allowance 
schedule to correct any errors, or as necessary to update the schedule.
    (d) Use of utility allowance schedule. (1) The PHA must use the 
appropriate utility allowance for the size of dwelling unit actually 
leased by the family (rather than the family unit size as determined 
under the PHA subsidy standards).
    (2) At reexamination, the PHA must use the PHA current utility 
allowance schedule.
    (e) Higher utility allowance as reasonable accommodation for a 
person with disabilities. On request from a family that includes a 
person with disabilities, the PHA must approve a utility allowance which 
is higher than the applicable amount on the utility allowance schedule 
if a higher utility allowance is needed as a reasonable accommodation in 
accordance with 24 CFR part 8 to make the program accessible to and 
usable by the family member with a disability.

(Information collection requirements contained in this section have been 
approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 
2577-0169.)