HUD Handbook 7465.1 § 6-2
SHARED HOUSING (HUD Public Housing Occupancy Handbook 7465.1)
Operative Text
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.
REV-2
(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.HUD Handbook 7465.1 REV-2 CHG-2 § 6-2 establishes that Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) have the discretionary authority to allow more than one eligible family to share a single public housing unit, provided all families consent and local zoning and occupancy laws permit it. Each participating family must independently qualify for the program, hold a waiting list position, have its own lease, and have rent calculated separately under HUD regulations. Importantly, one family's departure or eviction does not automatically terminate the other family's lease, and PHAs retain the right to limit, expand, or discontinue shared housing programs with due consideration for existing participants.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under HUD Handbook 7465.1 REV-2 CHG-2 § 6-2, PHAs that choose to offer shared housing programs typically establish clear written policies specifying which projects or units are eligible, and they verify that all participating families independently meet eligibility and waiting list requirements. Compliant operators generally issue a separate lease to each family, calculate each family's rent and utility allowance individually (prorating the utility allowance by bedroom allocation or another reasonable method), and develop procedures for handling security deposits and damage responsibility. PHAs that decide to discontinue a shared housing program generally do so with documented consideration for the rights of families already in existing shared arrangements.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 6-2 of HUD Handbook 7465.1 REV-2 CHG-2 makes clear that no applicant or tenant can be required to participate in a shared housing arrangement — participation must be voluntary and mutually agreeable. Each family in a shared arrangement holds its own independent lease, meaning a roommate family's eviction or voluntary departure does not automatically end your tenancy, though it may trigger a review for overhousing or a rent adjustment if utility allowances were prorated. Tenants who believe a PHA is misapplying this provision — for example, by coercing participation or improperly calculating rent — may raise the issue with their local PHA's grievance process, contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or seek guidance from a tenant-rights organization.
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 26, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.