Rural Housing Accessibility Act

The Rural Housing Accessibility Act amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to address the portability of housing choice vouchers. It mandates that certain public housing agencies (PHAs), specifically those utilizing less than 95 percent of their budget authority, must absorb "port-in" housing choice vouchers from families moving into their jurisdiction. These "covered public housing agencies" are required to notify the initial PHA whether they will absorb the voucher using their own funds or bill the initial PHA for the assistance payments. A key provision stipulates that the covered PHA may not bill the initial public housing agency for more than 12 months , starting from the effective date of the initial billing. This measure aims to streamline the process for families using portable vouchers and ensure greater accessibility to housing options.