Project-Based Voucher Improvement Act of 2015

Project-Based Voucher Improvement Act of 2015

This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 with respect to the requirement that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) require local governments or other HUD-approved entities to make inspections and rent determinations for leased dwelling units (other than public housing dwelling units) that are owned by a public housing agency (PHA) administering section 8 low-income (voucher) rental assistance.

"Owned by a PHA," for these purposes, means the dwelling unit is in a project owned by:

• the PHA,
• an entity wholly controlled by the PHA, or
• a limited liability company or limited partnership in which the PHA (or an entity wholly controlled by it) holds a controlling interest in the managing member or general partner.

A dwelling unit shall not be deemed to be owned by a PHA for these purposes, however, merely because the PHA holds:

• a fee interest as ground lessor in the property on which the unit is situated,
• a security interest under a mortgage or deed of trust on the unit, or
• a non-controlling interest in an entity which owns the unit or in the managing member or general partner of an entity which owns the unit.

In an exception to the prohibition against attaching to a PHA project more than 20% of funding available for tenant-based assistance, a PHA may use up to an additional 10% to provide units that:

• house homeless individuals and families,
• house families with veterans,
• provide supportive housing to persons with disabilities or elderly persons, or
• are located in areas where vouchers are difficult to use.

The bill revises the income-mixing requirement for such projects to add to the current assistance limitation of a maximum 25 dwelling units per project an alternative limitation of 25% of such dwelling units. Neither limitation shall apply to dwelling units exclusively made available to elderly families or to households eligible for certain supportive services.

The term of a housing assistance payment contract may increase from 15 to 20 years.

The bill also revises requirements for rent adjustments.