DOI: 10.3886/e220764
title: Multifamily Assistance & Section 8 Database

description: DISCLAIMER:The information regarding the Assistance and Section 8 contracts, and properties is being furnished for the convenience of interested parties. The information has been compiled from multiple data sources within FHA or its contractors. This information does not purport to be complete or all inclusive. No representation or warranty, express or implied, as to any of the information contained in these files is made by HUD, FHA or any of their respective contractors, representatives or agents, or any officer, Director, employee, or any of the above. <br><br>INSTRUCTIONS:<br>This database was created to provide HUD partners/clients with a way of measuring the potential impact of expiring project-based subsidy contracts in their communities. It represents the most comprehensive picture of project-based subsidies yet developed, but like any "snap-shot", its usefulness has limits, although, Multifamily plans to refresh this data on a monthly basis. Below, we give a summary of what to keep in mind when viewing the information:Download of the Assistance and Section 8 Contracts - This compressed, (self extracting) file is offered in Microsoft Access Version 7.0 for Windows 95. It is important to note that this is a very large file and the speed for completing the download of the file is dependent on the bandwidth of you Internet Service provider (ISP) and the speed of your connection to the internet. The database contains two tables, one on the contract level, the other on the property level. To see property level data you must link these two tables by the property id field.Contract Expiration Data and Units - Please keep in mind that you will often find more than one contract will share the same property information. The field “assisted_units_count” , in the contract level table counts the number of units funded in that unique contract; the term “property_total_unit_count” shows how many units are in the entire property. A project with 100 units and two 50-units Section 8 contracts would have two records in the contract table and one record in the property table.Rent/Fair Market Rents - For each contract, we display the overall average ratio of gross contract rents to FMR taking into account the number of units and FMR for each bedroom size. Please note that this ratio is a guide only. In addition, since FMRs are determined by county and metro area, errors in project address data may lead to incorrect FMR benchmarks. Lastly, project rents change frequently and are therefore more subject to error. In creating this database, HUD staff processed over 24,000 address records and over 70,000 rent records. While considerable effort was made to assure the accuracy of the data used, absolute certainty is impossible.HUD-Held and HUD-Owned Status - The classification of projects as "HUD-Held" or "HUD-Owned" is based solely on status codes in HUD's accounting systems and has not been independently verified. For the most current status of a particular insured mortgage, contact the local HUD Field Office.Opportunity Zone Indicator - If a property is located in an Opportunity Zone, the field “is_opportunity_zone_ind” will show ‘Y’.<br>