As part of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1969, the Brooke Amendment capped rent in public housing to 25% of family income.
There was significant concern that the rents of public housing units were to high for the lowest-income households to afford. For many low-income families in public housing, rent was to high to be truly considered affordable, yet not high enough to provide enough funding to local housing authorities to maintain upkeep of the public housing properties.1
The Housing and Urban Development Act of 1969:
- Capped what public housing residents had to pay in rent at 25% of family income.
- Allowed HUD to start providing funds to local public housing authorities (PHAs) for operating assitance.
Although the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1969 made it possible for federal authorities to provide funding to local PHAs for maintenance, funding never kept pace with the needs of local PHAs. This cycle of lower-income tenants paying lower rents, insufficient operating income, and deteriorating units began a perpetual problem for Public Housing throughout the country which continues to this day.1
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For the full text of the bill, click here.
Endnotes