24 C.F.R. § 92.354

§ 92.354 Labor. (24 CFR Part 92)

In Force
Verified 8/21/2026 · Next check 9/20/2026
effective 8/21/2026FederalAffordable Housing Programs

Operative Text

24 C.F.R. § 92.354
(a) General. (1) Every contract for the construction (rehabilitation or new construction) of housing that includes 12 or more units assisted with HOME funds must contain a provision requiring the payment of not less than the wages prevailing in the locality, as predetermined by the Secretary of Labor pursuant to the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141), to all laborers and mechanics employed in the development of any part of the housing. Such contracts must also be subject to the overtime provisions, as applicable, of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 3701).

(2) The contract for construction must contain these wage provisions if HOME funds are used for any project costs in § 92.206, including construction or nonconstruction costs, of housing with 12 or more HOME-assisted units. When HOME funds are only used to assist homebuyers to acquire single family housing, and not for any other project costs, the wage provisions apply to the construction of the housing if there is a written agreement with the owner or developer of the housing that HOME funds will be used to assist homebuyers to buy the housing and the construction contract covers 12 or more housing units to be purchased with HOME assistance. The wage provisions apply to any construction contract that includes a total of 12 or more HOME-assisted units, whether one or more than one project is covered by the construction contract. Once they are determined to be applicable, the wage provisions must be contained in the construction contract so as to cover all laborers and mechanics employed in the development of the entire project, including portions other than the assisted units. Arranging multiple construction contracts within a single project for the purpose of avoiding the wage provisions is not permitted.

(3) Participating jurisdictions, contractors, subcontractors, and other participants must comply with regulations issued under these acts and with other Federal laws and regulations pertaining to labor standards, as applicable. Participating jurisdictions shall be responsible for ensuring compliance by contractors and subcontractors with labor standards described in this section. In accordance with procedures specified by HUD, participating jurisdictions shall:

(i) Ensure that bid and contract documents contain required labor standards provisions and the appropriate Department of Labor wage determinations;

(ii) Conduct on-site inspections and employee interviews;

(iii) Collect and review certified weekly payroll reports;

(iv) Correct all labor standards violations promptly;

(v) Maintain documentation of administrative and enforcement activities; and

(vi) Require certification as to compliance with the provisions of this section before making any payment under such contracts.

(b) Volunteers. The prevailing wage provisions of paragraph (a) of this section do not apply to an individual who receives no compensation or is paid expenses, reasonable benefits, or a nominal fee to perform the services for which the individual volunteered and who is not otherwise employed at any time in the construction work. See 24 CFR part 70.

(c) Sweat equity. The prevailing wage provisions of paragraph (a) of this section do not apply to members of an eligible family who provide labor in exchange for acquisition of a property for homeownership or provide labor in lieu of, or as a supplement to, rent payments.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under 24 CFR Part 92 § 92.354, when HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds are used in connection with a construction project involving 12 or more HOME-assisted units, all laborers and mechanics working on that project must be paid at least the locally prevailing wages set by the Secretary of Labor under the Davis-Bacon Act, and the project must also comply with applicable overtime rules under the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act. The threshold is calculated across the entire construction contract, even if it spans multiple projects, and deliberately splitting contracts to fall below 12 units is explicitly prohibited. Two narrow exemptions exist: true volunteers who receive no meaningful compensation and family members who contribute their own labor (sweat equity) in exchange for homeownership or reduced rent are not subject to the prevailing wage requirements.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 4, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and developers working with HOME funds on projects meeting the 12-or-more-assisted-unit threshold under § 92.354 generally ensure that every construction contract—covering rehabilitation or new construction—includes the required Davis-Bacon prevailing wage provisions and the applicable Department of Labor wage determinations from the outset. Compliant operators do not structure or divide construction contracts in ways designed to avoid the 12-unit trigger, as § 92.354 explicitly bars that practice. Maintaining certified weekly payroll records, conducting or cooperating with on-site inspections, and obtaining contractor certifications of compliance before releasing payments are among the administrative practices associated with meeting the participating jurisdiction's enforcement obligations under this section.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

For tenants and prospective homebuyers in HOME-funded developments, § 92.354 establishes that workers building or rehabilitating their housing are entitled to locally prevailing wages when the project meets the 12-or-more-assisted-unit threshold, which can affect the quality and accountability of the construction workforce. If there are concerns that wage standards were not followed on a HOME-funded project, the participating jurisdiction—typically a local or state housing agency—bears responsibility under § 92.354 for enforcing compliance, and HUD also oversees the program at the federal level. Tenant-rights organizations or housing advocacy groups familiar with HOME program rules can help individuals understand whether a particular project was subject to these labor standards and what avenues exist for raising concerns.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Aug 21, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ 1437
Declaration of policy and public housing agency organization
§ 5.100
§ 5.100 Definitions.
§ 5.107
§ 5.107 Audit requirements for non-profit organizations.

Source Information

Snapshot SHA:
Fetched:Aug 21, 2026, 02:58 PM UTC