Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Payment Standard Decrease

NOTIFICATION OF PAYMENT STANDARD DECREASE 

Dear Program Participant:

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires Jefferson County Housing Authority (JCHA) to implement Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR) payment standards no later than January 1, 2025. By statute, JCHA is required to provide you with twelve months' notice.

SAFMR's are FMR's calculated at the ZIP code level rather than for the entire metropolitan area. SAFMRs allow for payment standards to be established that more accurately reflect the local market. They are intended to provide families with more access to low-poverty, high-opportunity areas.

Payment standards determine how much assistance JCHA can make in Housing Assistance Payments (HAPs) on behalf of program participants.

The payment standard for your ZIP code is decreasing, effective January 1, 2026. JCHA will delay the implementation of your reduced payment standard. It shall remain at this level until the payment standard rises above the frozen level, the family moves, and/or there is a change in household composition. If there is a change in household composition, the decreased payment standard will go into effect at the next annual recertification.

This letter is not a notification of a change in your rent. For participants remaining in their current units, the payment standards will be frozen at the higher level.

For program participants moving/transferring into new units, rental assistance will be based on the new payment standards.

As always, your share of the rent to the owner could be affected by a change in the utility allowance schedule, your family composition, or your adjusted monthly income.

The payment standards scheduled by zip code may be found on our website here.

If you need further information about this policy and how it pertains to your subsidy, please contact your assigned case worker.