Payment Standards & Utility Allowances
Payment standards (PS) are used to calculate housing assistance payments for families receiving housing choice vouchers. The payment standard is the maximum monthly assistance payment that a family receives through the program, and varies based on the size of the household as defined by the bedroom number.
The payment standard includes the utilities paid directly by the tenant.
Utility allowance (UA) is the average monthly cost of utilities and other services for an energy-conservative household of modest circumstances.
The exact amount of utility allowance will depend on which utilities the tenant pays for directly – such as gas, electricity, water, sewer, and/or trash.
The rent on the tenant’s lease plus the tenant‐paid utilities is compared to the payment standard when determining rent reasonableness.
Payment standards, and therefore the suggested rent, vary based on household size and the voucher program. Housing Choice Vouchers use a different payment standard than Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV) and the VA Supportive Housing (VASH) program, as shown below:
Housing Choice Vouchers
| Bedroom Size | Payment Standard (Gross) | Utility Allowance (Varies) | Suggested Rent Estimated Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,233 | $0-149 | $1,084-1,233 |
| 1 | $1,373 | $0-155 | $1,218-1,373 |
| 2 | $1,725 | $0-194 | $1,531-1,725 |
| 3 | $2,452 | $0-246 | $2,206-2,452 |
| 4 | $2,740 | $0-300 | $2,440-2,740 |
EHV & VASH
| Bedroom Size | Payment Standard (Gross) | Utility Allowance (Varies) | Suggested Rent Estimated Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,409 | $0-149 | $1,260-1,409 |
| 1 | $1,570 | $0-155 | $1,415-1,570 |
| 2 | $1,972 | $0-194 | $1,778-1,972 |
| 3 | $2,802 | $0-246 | $2,556-2,802 |
| 4 | $3,288 | $0-300 | $2,988-3,288 |