HHS Publishes 2016 Poverty Guidelines

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently published the 2016 poverty guidelines in the Federal Register (81 FR 4036) for the 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, Alaska, and Hawaii. These figures are the last component HUD needs to release its fiscal year 2016 income limits.

In prior years, HUD has released income limits in December. However, HUD is not required to include HHS poverty guidelines in extremely low-income limits, defined as 30 percent of the area median income. So it’s important to note that the extremely low income limit does not impact tax credit income limits. But HUD has stated that it will continue to release the Section 8 and LIHTC income limits at the same time.