Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§1490r Rural housing voucher program

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 8A— - SLUM CLEARANCE, URBAN RENEWAL, AND FARM HOUSING › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - FARM HOUSING › § 1490r

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must run a rural housing voucher program, if Congress approves funds, to help very low‑income families and persons rent housing in rural areas. The Secretary may use a payment standard based on the area's fair market rent. Each month the voucher equals that payment standard minus 30% of the family's monthly adjusted income, but it cannot exceed the part of the rent (including any allowed utility amount for units with separate meters) that is over 10% of the family's monthly gross income. The Secretary must coordinate with programs under sections 1485 and 1490m and may contract for up to 5,000 units in any fiscal year.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §1490r

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)To such extent or in such amounts as are approved in appropriation Acts, the Secretary shall carry out a rural housing voucher program to assist very low-income families and persons to reside in rental housing in rural areas. For such purposes, the Secretary may provide assistance using a payment standard based on the fair market rental rate established by the Secretary for the area. The monthly assistance payment for any family shall be the amount by which the payment standard for the area exceeds 30 per centum of the family’s monthly adjusted income, except that such monthly assistance payment shall not exceed the amount which the rent for the dwelling unit (including the amount allowed for utilities in the case of a unit with separate utility metering) exceeds 10 per centum of the family’s monthly gross income.

(b)In carrying out the rural housing voucher program under this section, the Secretary shall—

(1)coordinate activities under this section with activities assisted under section 1485 and 1490m of this title; and

(2)enter into contracts for assistance for not more than 5000 units in any fiscal year.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 1490r

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73