Fiscal Year 2020 Utility Allowance Factors

The 2020 Multifamily Housing Utility Allowance Factors have been posted on HUDUser and were effective February 11, 2020.

 When preparing your rent adjustments, be sure to utilize this new information.

 RBD has prepared a calculation worksheet for your convenience. This new worksheet is available on our Resources page at https://www.rbdnow.com/resources/noticeforms

 Please note that the following states will see a reduction in the Utility Allowance for Natural Gas:

Oklahoma, Montana, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, New Mexico, Arkansas, Maryland, Tennessee, Kansas, Illinois, Idaho, South Carolina, District Of Columbia, Ohio, Alabama, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia, Colorado, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Iowa, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Indiana, Washington, Arizona, Michigan, California, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Utah.

The following states will see a reduction in the Utility Allowance for Electricity:

Delaware, Arkansas, South Carolina, Missouri, Maryland, Louisiana, Georgia, Utah, Kentucky, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Illinois, Alabama, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, District of Columbia, Tennessee, Washington, Colorado, Wyoming. 

If your residents’ Utility Allowances are reduced, Tenant Rent will increase. Be sure that your residents receive the required notification before the new Utility Allowance is effective.  

When a change in the Utility Allowance results in an increase or decrease in the Tenant Rent, the owner/agent and the residents must sign the appropriate certifications. 

When the change is reported on the 50059A the owner/agent signs and the HOH must sign within 60 days of the date the change is reported on a voucher. 

When the change is reported on a full 50059, the owner/agent signs and all adult household members must sign within 60 days of the date the change is reported on a voucher. 

Refusal to sign a 50059 or 50059A is cause for termination of assistance or tenancy as appropriate.

Note: When applying a Gross Rent Change, if there is no change to Tenant Rent, owner/agents must sign the certifications, but residents are not required to sign. However, owner/agents must provide residents with a copy of the 50059 or 50059A and a copy must be retained in the tenant file. 

For additional information about Gross Rent Changes and other certification and voucher submission requirements, join us for the RBD Online Training Workshop - TRACS - An Overview of Certification & Voucher Submission Requirements on April 28 & 29, 2020.