DCHA Payment Standards 2026–27

DCHA Utility Allowances FY2026

Monthly allowances for utilities the tenant pays, effective October 1, 2025. Add the allowance for each utility you pay yourself; the total is added to the rent to get the gross rent compared with the payment standard. Source: DCHA FY2026 Utility Allowance Schedule (PDF, form dated October 1, 2025) (read October 17, 2026).

HUD rent figures for Washington, DC

HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs), FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026), across 23 ZIP codes. The 90–110% column is the basic range for the median ZIP. As a Moving to Work agency, DCHA can set payment standards outside it.

20001 Washington
$3,43020002 Washington
$2,87020003 Washington
$3,66020004 Washington
$3,53020005 Washington
$3,15020006 Washington
$2,38020007 Washington
$2,61020008 Washington
$3,49020009 Washington
$3,66020010 Washington
$2,55020011 Washington
$2,20020012 Washington
$1,97020015 Washington
$2,37020016 Washington
$2,84020017 Washington
$2,28020018 Washington
$1,64020019 Washington
$1,77020020 Washington
$1,78020024 Washington
$2,94020032 Washington
$1,77020036 Washington
$2,77020037 Washington
$3,46020319 Washington
$2,940

What is the DCHA payment standard?

A payment standard is the maximum monthly amount DCHA uses to calculate a voucher's housing assistance for a given unit size. DCHA chooses its payment standards, and HUD rules (24 CFR 982.503) normally require them to fall between 90% and 110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent for the area (the metro-wide FMR, or ZIP-level Small Area FMRs where the authority uses them) — the "basic range". An authority can go above 110% only with an exception payment standard approved by HUD or allowed by HUD notice. DCHA is a HUD Moving to Work (MTW) agency, so it can use MTW flexibility to set payment standards outside that usual range.

What are DCHA's utility allowances for FY2026?

DCHA's current utility allowances took effect on October 1, 2025 (source: DCHA FY2026 Utility Allowance Schedule (PDF, form dated October 1, 2025)). For a 2-bedroom, the allowance for a single utility ranges from $6 to $128 a month. Add the allowance for each utility you pay yourself. The total is added to the contract rent, and that gross rent is what is compared with the payment standard, so a unit with tenant-paid utilities needs a lower rent to fit.

Why might DCHA's published amounts differ from the HUD figures on this page?

The figures here are HUD's FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026) Small Area FMRs. DCHA sets its own amounts as a percentage of these (anywhere in the 90–110% basic range), and it adopts new amounts on its own schedule. As a Moving to Work agency, DCHA may also use local payment standards that differ from the basic range. Always use DCHA's own published schedule for your actual voucher amount.

Where can I find DCHA's official payment standard schedule?

On DCHA's website (https://www.dchousing.org) or from your caseworker. Voucher holders also receive the amount for their unit size in their briefing packet.

Does a higher payment standard mean the voucher pays more of my rent?

It raises the ceiling. The housing assistance payment is the lower of the payment standard or the unit's gross rent (rent plus tenant-paid utilities), minus your total tenant payment — usually about 30% of adjusted monthly income (24 CFR 982.505). If a unit's gross rent is above the payment standard, you pay the difference, and at initial lease-up your share can't exceed 40% of adjusted monthly income.

Why do the amounts change by ZIP code?

HUD publishes Small Area FMRs for each ZIP code in DCHA's area rather than one figure for the whole metro area. Some authorities are required to use them and others may choose to; where an authority uses them, its payment standards vary by ZIP too, so higher-rent neighborhoods get higher ceilings. Check DCHA's schedule for the ZIP of the unit, not where you live now.