HUD Rental Housing Voucher Negotiated Rulemaking

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Published January, 1999
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CBI Practitioners: 
David Fairman

 

In 1999, CBI facilitated a negotiated rulemaking process involving a 32-member US Department of Housing and Urban Development advisory committee. The goal of the process was to develop consensus recommendations on a HUD regulation governing the annual allocation of $8 billion of Federal funds for rental housing vouchers. This process was convened in response to a Congressional mandate to develop a new formula of distributing funds fairly and efficiently among the 2700 public housing agencies that administer the program nation-wide. It was also hoped that the negotiated rulemaking process could address frictions among housing industry associations, tenant associations, and HUD staff involved in the implementation of the Section 8 program.

The process began with a CBI assessment of stakeholders and their concerns. After interviewing 42 stakeholders, CBI prepared a convening report with a draft mission statement and work plan for the negotiated rulemaking process. CBI then facilitated the process, whose participants included two HUD Deputy Assistant Secretaries and staff, 20 local and state housing agency representatives, 4 housing advocacy groups and associations, two tenant representatives, and a technical assistance consultant team.

Over the course of six meetings, the Committee reached full consensus on an allocation regulation, including the text of a draft rule and a notice with implementing guidelines. The Committee also produced a consensus report documenting the rationale underlying its recommendations. HUD subsequently enacted and implemented the rule and a number of the associated recommendations.

 

For more information on this case, please contact Managing Director David Fairman.