Program objective

It is the policy of the United States to promote the general welfare of the Nation by employing funds and credit of the Nation, as established in section 2 of the 1937 Act, of assisting States and their political subdivisions {e.g., Public Housing Authorities (PHA)s} to remedy the unsafe housing conditions and the acute shortage of decent and safe dwellings for low-income families as well as address the shortage of housing affordable to low-income families. The PBCA program furthers these policies by effectuating authority explicitly under section 8(b)(1) of the 1937 Act for HUD to enter into Annual Contributions Contracts (ACCs) with PHAs for the administration of Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contracts. For the purpose of aiding lower-income families in obtaining a decent place to live and of promoting economically mixed housing, assistance payments may be made with respect to existing housing in accordance with the provisions of this section. For the project-based subprograms authorized under Section 8, the 1937 Act authorizes HUD to enter into an ACC with a PHA, as defined in section 3(b)(6)(A) of the 1937 Act. The ACC is the contractual mechanism to support the PHA’s public purpose in making the assistance payments to Section 8 project owners. This program provides assistance to PHAs for the administration of Project-Based Section 8 program within a State.