Construction Cost Indices: HUD Section 202 and 811 Supportive Housing Programs

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) commissioned the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) Research Center to do a cost evaluation of the Section 202 and Section 811 supportive housing programs. The legislatively stated purpose of the Section 202 program is to provide "Supportive Housing for the Elderly," just as the purpose of the Section 811 program is to provide "Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities" (including Group Homes). HUD initiated a study of these programs because of concerns about the accuracy of the project development cost limits it was using for this program. The most significant concern was that the total development cost limits under this program were inadequate to fund all development costs for projects in at least some areas, and that the need for program sponsors to find other sources of grant funding often resulted in significant project development delays. HUD was also concerned about whether the cost limits had a consistent relationship with actual development costs from area to area.