HUD Awards $10 Million Tenant Education Grant to Protect Low-Income Renters

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced on September 10, 2024, that it has awarded $10 million in grant funding to expand tenant education and outreach for low-income residents living in homes supported by the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program. The award is being administered under HUD's Tenant Education and Outreach (TEO) Program.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, based in Los Angeles, along with its co-applicant the Massachusetts Alliance of HUD Tenants, based in Boston, will receive up to $10 million to implement the TEO program over a five-year period of performance. Over the next two years, the two lead organizations will sub-award and subcontract funds to approximately 30 eligible tenant advocacy organizations on a first come, first served basis.

According to HUD, the funding is intended to support capacity-building efforts that enable hundreds of thousands of tenants living in PBRA housing to more effectively engage with property managers and owners, helping ensure that housing remains safe, decent, and affordable. Allowable uses of the funds include training for tenant organizers, technical assistance to tenant organizations, legal services to establish and operate tenant organizations, and related staffing, supplies, and operational costs.

HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman said the administration is "dedicated to helping the families we serve live in homes where they can thrive." The agency framed the grants as a critical effort to maintain sustainable projects and communities, aligning with the Biden-Harris Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights.

The $10 million annual authorization for tenant education activities was created by Section 514 of the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (MAHRAA). HUD originally published the $10 million Notice of Funding Opportunity for tenant education and outreach in 2023 before finalizing the awards in September 2024.

For low-income renters in HUD-assisted housing, the program is designed to strengthen the voice of tenants in property-level decisions, improve conditions, and help preserve rental affordability in Section 8 PBRA communities.