Changes in the federally subsidized Section 8 housing program could leave the Butler County Housing and Redevelopment Authority with less money to provide residents with affordable housing.

Beginning April 1, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will designate Butler County as small market and remove it from the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Market in the Fair Market Rent system.

Fair market rent is the subsidy the authority pays Section 8 landlords after tenants pay 30 percent of their income toward the rent.

Section 8 landlords in all six counties in the Pittsburgh market have been receiving the same fair market rent subsidies, but the market is one of 24 across the country being broken up. Each county, including Butler County, will be a small market with its own set of subsidies.

“The department is doing this as a way to deconcentrate areas of subsidized housing and open up areas of opportunity. HUD calls them opportunity neighborhoods,” said Edward Mauk, housing authority CEO.

Pittsburgh market subsidies range from $621 a month for an efficiency apartment to $1,214 for a four-bedroom apartment. The subsidies vary according to the number of bedrooms.

Mauk said the possibility of current landlords dropping out of the Section 8 program because of the lower subsidies is less of a concern than a potential overall increase in the subsidies the authority will have to pay. An increase could result in less money available to assist low-income residents.

“I don’t think there will be a lot of problems with the landlords. The bigger concern is cost per unit goes up and we won’t be able to help as many people,” Mauk said.

A full story appears in the Butler Eagle.