Proposed regulation would allow local housing agencies to condition assistance on employment activity for eligible adults while requiring support services and preserving exemptions for elderly and disabled residents.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Feb. 27 that it intends to move forward with a proposed regulation granting public housing authorities and certain subsidized housing providers the option to require employment participation and impose minimum duration limits on specific adult recipients of federal housing assistance.
If finalized, the rule would allow local public housing authorities (PHAs) and owners participating in the Section 8 project-based rental assistance program to condition continued occupancy or rental support on work-related activity for non-elderly, non-disabled adults considered capable of employment.
PHAs are responsible for administering public housing properties and determining applicant eligibility. Under the Section 8 project-based rental assistance framework, private landlords contract with HUD to provide housing units for low-income tenants, who pay a portion of rent while federal funds cover the remainder.
According to a notice scheduled for publication March 2, agencies and participating property owners could require eligible adults to complete up to 40 hours per week of employment or qualifying work activities in order to maintain assistance. The proposal would also allow the establishment of time limits of no fewer than two years for qualifying households that do not include elderly or disabled members.
Housing authorities and property owners would have discretion to determine which members within a household are subject to the requirements and how those requirements are structured.
“PHAs and Owners can designate who within a household is subject to the work requirements and how to apply the work requirements,” HUD stated in its announcement.
The department said that any authority choosing to implement work participation standards or duration limits must also provide access to services intended to promote self-sufficiency. Those services may include referrals to workforce development centers, job training programs, substance use counseling, and assistance completing secondary education.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner said the proposed framework is intended to reposition housing assistance as transitional support rather than permanent aid for individuals capable of employment.
“Rather, it should be a temporary foundation to launch into a life of self-sufficiency. Getting a paycheck is empowering, getting a welfare check is not,” Turner said.
“HUD’s proposed rule will restore dignity and well-being among residents we serve. Our proposal expands access for deserving families on waiting lists, while still preserving protections for elderly and disabled households.”
Turner introduced the proposal at the Housing Authority of Champaign County in Illinois, which has operated under HUD’s “Moving to Work” designation for more than a decade. PHAs with that designation are permitted to test alternative policies aimed at increasing economic independence among participants.
HUD reported that fewer than one percent of PHAs nationwide currently enforce work requirements. The Champaign County authority requires able-bodied adults to work at least 15 hours weekly, and households must meet a 30-hour combined work threshold.
According to HUD, since receiving its Moving to Work designation in 2019, average household income among participating residents in Champaign County has increased by 96 percent. In 2025 alone, 76 households transitioned from assistance to self-sufficiency.
The department said average participation periods in major rental programs have lengthened over the past decade. Since 2010, the average length of stay has increased from roughly five to six years to nearly eight to nine years. HUD also stated that nearly 90 percent of able-bodied Section 8 voucher recipients remain in subsidized housing for more than five years, and about half remain for more than fifteen years. Current resources, the department said, serve approximately one-quarter of eligible Americans seeking assistance.
Opposition groups have raised concerns about the impact of time limits. In a July 18 report, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warned that imposing duration caps could place more than three million people at risk of losing assistance, including about 1.7 million children.
“Today, families can receive federal rental assistance for as long as they need it to help them afford market rent. The majority of participants exit assistance within five years (including seniors and people with disabilities, who tend to receive assistance for longer periods than other participants),” the organization stated.
The report further cautioned that “Due to a long history of discrimination in housing and other areas the impact would fall disproportionately on Black and Latino people,” adding that children in affected households would face particularly severe consequences.
HUD maintains that the proposed rule seeks to balance resource constraints with expanded access for families on waiting lists while maintaining protections for elderly and disabled residents.
The rule is subject to public comment before any final action is taken.
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