Rural Housing Service: Standardization of Budget Estimation Processes Needed for Rental Assistance Program

March 2004 Rural Housing Service: Standardization of Budget Estimation Processes Needed for Rental Assistance Program The Rural Housing Services (RHS) Section 521 Rental Assistance Program provides rental subsidies to about 250,000 rural tenants. With an annual budget of over $700 million, the program is RHSs largest line-item appropriation, accounting for approximately 70 percent of the agency's budget. In early 2003, RHS reported hundreds of millions of dollars in unexpended balances, primarily tied to 5- and 20-year contracts issued from 1978 through 1982. Concern has arisen that these unexpended balances may be the result of the agency . . .