HUD Handbook 7465.1 § 6-2

a.   POLICY

            (1)   PHAs may, but are not required to, house more than
                  one family in a public housing unit ("shared
                  housing") if it is agreeable to the families
                  involved and is permitted by local zoning and
                  occupancy laws.

            (2)   Each family:

                  (a)   would have to be eligible for the program and
                        have a position on the waiting list;

                  (b)   would have income and rent computed according
                        to HUD regulations;

                  (c)   would have its own lease; and

                  (d)   could leave or be evicted without affecting
                        the other family's lease.

            (3)   PHAs which are interested in allowing shared
                  housing may limit it to particular projects,
                  particular units, or a particular number of units.
                  PHAs which decide to permit shared housing may
                  later discontinue doing so, although with due
                  consideration for the rights of those tenants
                  already in a shared housing arrangement.

       b.   DISCUSSION

       (1)   Shared housing may be useful in helping a PHA to:

             (a)   avoid vacancies;

             (b)   make better use of its inventory;

             (c)   increase housing options; or

             (d)   respond to unmet housing needs.

       (2)   Shared housing may be especially useful in meeting
             the needs of elderly or handicapped persons who
             are unable or unwilling to live alone. Shared
             housing may also be beneficial to single-parent
             households and others who want the social support
             a shared housing arrangement may offer them.

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(3)   The PHA should decide whether shared housing would
             be useful to its situation and whether the
             benefits would be worth the effort.

       (4)   While PHAs may not require applicants or tenants
             to participate in a shared housing arrangement,
             they may give a preference to applicants willing
             to share in filling an opening left by the
             departure of one family from a shared housing
             arrangement. Since the willingness of an
             applicant to share a dwelling could significantly
             affect the applicant's position on the waiting
             list, the PHA would have to be careful to avoid
             possible abuse.

       (5)   PHAs would not be responsible for matching
             applicants willing to share or in finding a
             replacement family when one family left. PHAs
             could assist, however, if they wanted to and the
             families involved wanted their help.

       (6)   In dealing with shared housing arrangements, PHAs
             may want to adjust their standards for the number
             of bedrooms needed to give the families some
             private space. PHAs which are considering housing
             two small families in a large unit should balance
             the potential benefit with the needs of large
             families for such units.

       (7)   In calculating each family's tenant rent (contract
             rent), the PHA could prorate the utility allowance
             according to the number of bedrooms each family is
             expected to occupy, or use other reasonable
             criteria. It would be the responsibility of the

                  families involved to determine how they would
                  actually pay their utility bills.

            (8)   Each family could be required to provide a
                  separate security deposit or the PHA could
                  establish one security deposit for the unit. The
                  PHA might have to develop special procedures for
                  determining responsibility for any damages.

            (9)   If one family left, the remaining family would
                  likely be overhoused. It could be transferred to
                  a smaller unit or, if the PHA permitted, find a
                  replacement for the family that left. If the
                  utility allowance had been prorated, the remaining
                  family would be entitled to a rent adjustment
                  reflecting its responsibility to pay all the
                  utility bills until a replacement family could be
                  found or a transfer arranged.