HCV Rent Affordability Calculator
As an HCV participant, this calculator is the most important tool for your housing search. You can use it to estimate the maximum rent for a unit to be considered affordable under the program's guidelines.
Understanding the Key Terms
Your housing subsidy is determined by several factors. Select a topic below to learn more about each component.
What is a "Payment Standard?"
A Payment Standard is the maximum subsidy KHC can pay for a unit based on its location (ZIP code) and number of bedrooms. This is the amount used to calculate your portion of the rent. KHC's Payment Standards are based on the Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) set by HUD.
- For Counties SERVED by KHC
- Regular Rent Standards
- SAFMR Rent Payment Standards (with zip codes)
- For Counties NOT Served by KHC
- Regular Rent Standards
- SAFMR Rent Payment Standards (with zip codes)
What is a "Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR)?"
Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) are Fair Market Rents (FMRs) set by HUD for specific ZIP codes. This method is more accurate than using a single FMR for an entire county, as it accounts for price differences in neighborhoods.
KHC is required to establish payment standards for each unit size in a Fair Market Rent area. Unit size is measured by number of bedrooms in a unit. For each unit size, the Public Housing Authority (PHA, or KHC in this case) establishes a single payment standard for the whole FMR area. For a PHA that employs SAFMRs, each ZIP code is considered a “designated part" of the FMR area.
KHC employs both regular payment standards and SAFMRs. SAFMRs are used for the following counties:
- Boone
- Bracken
- Bullitt
- Campbell
- Gallatin
- Henry
- Kenton
- Oldham
- Pendleton
- Spencer
What is a "Utility Allowance?"
The Utility Allowance is an estimated monthly amount for tenant-paid utilities (like electricity, gas, or water). This allowance is subtracted from the Payment Standard when calculating your final rent portion.
- Central Region
- East Region
- West Region