8 min read · Updated July 2026
Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), explained
A subsidy attached to a building rather than a tenant. Where to find PBRA properties, how rent is calculated, and why these units behave differently from voucher-rented apartments.
What PBRA is — and what it isn't
Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) is one of the most commonly confused federal rental programs. The name sounds like “project-based vouchers” (PBV), and HUD often lumps both under the casual label “project-based,” but they are not the same program.
PBRA is administered by HUD's Office of Multifamily Housing — not by your local PHA. The subsidy is attached by long-term contract to a specific building (usually 20 to 40 years), and that contract is signed between HUD and the building's owner. Tenants in a PBRA property pay roughly 30% of adjusted income for rent, and HUD pays the difference between that and the contract rent for each unit, every month, directly to the property owner.
Currently about 1.2 million units nationwide are covered by PBRA contracts under the Section 8 Project-Based program (yes, also “Section 8” — the original Section 8 of the 1937 Act actually authorized both project-based and tenant-based assistance; the names get used interchangeably in casual conversation).
How PBRA differs from a voucher
The single most important difference: the subsidy stays with the building. If you move out of a PBRA-assisted apartment, the subsidy does not move with you — it remains attached to the unit, and the next eligible household to lease that unit benefits from it. With a tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher, the opposite is true: the subsidy follows you wherever you live (subject to portability rules).
| Feature | PBRA | Tenant-based HCV |
|---|---|---|
| Who administers | HUD Multifamily (or a Performance-Based Contract Administrator) | Local Public Housing Authority |
| Subsidy attached to | The building / unit | The household |
| Who you apply to | The property's leasing office | The PHA |
| Choice of unit | Whatever vacant unit comes up at that property | Any qualifying unit on the open market |
| If you move out | Subsidy stays at the property | Subsidy moves with you |
| Recertification | By the property manager | By the PHA |
How rent is calculated in a PBRA unit
Like HCV and Public Housing, PBRA uses an income-based rent. The household pays the highest of:
- 30% of monthly adjusted income;
- 10% of monthly gross income;
- The welfare rent in states that use one;
- A property minimum rent (up to $25/month, lower than the PHA-administered programs).
The remainder of the contract rent is paid by HUD directly to the owner each month. Owners cannot charge security-deposit amounts that exceed one month's total tenant payment plus the utility allowance.
Where to find PBRA properties
Because PBRA is administered building-by-building, there is no PHA waitlist that covers it. You apply directly to each property. The two most reliable ways to find PBRA properties:
- HUD's Multifamily property database. HUD publishes a downloadable list of every property under a PBRA, Rent Supplement, or Section 202/811 contract. It includes addresses, contact info, and contract type.
- HUD's resource locator. The HUD Resource Locator at resources.hud.gov includes a map view of subsidized properties.
Once you find a property in the city you want, contact the property's leasing office and ask whether their waitlist is open. Each property maintains its own waitlist; some are open, some have been closed for years. Like with PHA waitlists, applying is always free.
Eligibility
Eligibility for PBRA tracks closely with HCV:
- Household income at or below 50% of Area Median Income for new admissions; the PHA must also target a substantial share of admissions to households at 30% of AMI or below.
- At least one U.S. citizen or eligible-immigrant household member.
- Reasonable suitability for tenancy as determined by the property owner using HUD-allowed screens.
What changes when a PBRA contract expires
PBRA contracts run for fixed terms, often 20 years with renewals. When a contract is up, the owner has several options: renew the HAP contract with HUD, opt out and convert the property to market-rate, or convert the units to a different subsidy under HUD's RAD program.
If your owner opts out of the contract, federal law requires the property to give existing tenants enhanced vouchers — a special form of HCV that lets you stay in your unit at the new market rent (with the subsidy covering the difference) or move with a regular voucher. This is the single most important tenant-protection rule in PBRA, and you should never sign anything related to a contract opt-out without reading it carefully or consulting a tenant attorney.
Bottom line
PBRA is one of the largest sources of deeply-affordable rental housing in the country, but it is invisible to most renters because there is no PHA waitlist that maps to it. If you have ever lived in a building called “HUD-subsidized” that was not public housing, there is a good chance it was a PBRA property. The trade-off is real: you get a deeply-affordable rent in a property that may have years of waitlist depth, but you cannot take the subsidy with you if you move.