Amount of Rental Assistance

Section 145.150  Amount of Rental Assistance a)         The amount of rental assistance for each unit shall be the difference between the amount of the rent for the unit and the tenant's rent payments. b)         When identifying the appropriateness of the amount of rent to be paid for a unit, the SA or PSH Provider shall complete a rent reasonableness determination.  Prior to approval and signing of a lease, data shall be gathered by the SA or PSH Provider on a variety of units and used to make a comparability determination on the affordability and suitability of the unit.  The unit must pass the rent reasonableness determination to be deemed appropriate for PSH rental payments. c)         Rents shall not exceed the Fair Market Rent (FMR) established for the geographical area, as determined annually by HUD.  An exception exists if rents throughout the local community are above FMR and it is highly unlikely that there will be units available for inclusion in PSH.  In these situations, if a tenant seeks to utilize a housing unit with a rent level greater than the FMR, the SA or PSH Provider must document the circumstances and obtain the approval of DMH.