INSIDER's Pop Quiz!

Q: Tax credit sites that are not Rural Housing Services-assisted or HUD-regulated can use which of the following methods for estimating tenant utility costs?

a. Public Housing Authority (PHA) Estimate

b. Local Utility Company Estimate

c. Agency Estimate based on Similar Building/Actual Consumption

d. HUD Utility Schedule Model

e. Energy Consumption Model

f.  Any one of the above

A: The correct answer is f, any one of the above methods. If any household members at your site get Section 8 vouchers, however, you must always use the applicable PHA utility allowance for their units. In addition, the utility allowance of the particular PHA that granted the voucher or certificate must be used for that household. But the utility allowance for the non-HUD-assisted units in the building can be based on any of the acceptable methods listed above.

For a closer look at using these methods, see “How to Identify Correct Utility Allowances to Use at Your Site,” available to subscribers here.