Fair Market Rents for the Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments ProgramFiscal Year 1997

Section 8(c)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 requires the Secretary to publish FMRs annually to be effective on October 1 of each year. FMRs are used for the Section 8 Rental Certificate Program (including space rentals by owners of manufactured homes under that program); the Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy program; housing assisted under the Loan Management and Property Disposition programs; payment standards for the Rental Voucher program; and any other programs whose regulations specify their use. Today's notice provides final FY 1997 FMRs for all areas. It includes increased FMRs for 21 areas as a result of HUD-contracted Random Digit Dialing (RDD) surveys conducted through August, 1996. It also includes increased FMRs in 8 areas that submitted public comments, plus 4 areas that submitted manufactured home space rent comments. Today's notice also makes effective FMR reductions for 9 areas that were proposed for reduction in the May 8, 1996 notice (61 FR 20982), based on the results of recent RDD and American Housing Surveys (AHSs).