Understanding Payment Standards & Rent Reasonableness
The payment standard is the maximum amount the housing program can contribute toward rent and utilities. It’s not a guarantee of what the rent will be, just a cap on what the program will pay. The actual rent for a unit is determined through something called a rent reasonableness study. This means the Housing Authority will compare your unit to similar apartments in the same area — looking at things like: -Square footage -Number of bedrooms -Amenities (like a yard, parking, washer/dryer, etc.) -Location and neighborhood quality -Overall condition of the unit This helps ensure the rent being charged is fair and comparable to what other non-voucher tenants are paying for similar units. It is against federal law to charge someone with a housing voucher more rent than a tenant who is not using a voucher. Landlords must offer the same rent terms to voucher holders as they would to anyone else.
Payment Standards
The Housing Authority of the County of Monterey establishes its Payment Standards based on HUD-published Fair Market Rents for the Salinas, California Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Monterey County. Payment Standards represent the maximum monthly amount of housing assistance that may be provided toward rent and utilities under the Housing Choice Voucher Program and are used to calculate assistance for participating households.
Effective January 1, 2026
The Housing Authority of the County of Monterey has updated its Payment Standards based on HUD’s newly published Fair Market Rents. The updated Payment Standards are effective as of January 1, 2026, and will apply to all new admissions.
Households currently assisted under the Housing Choice Voucher Program that remain housed will be held harmless. This means that for households assisted under the program prior to January 1, 2026, HACM will continue to apply the payment standard in effect before January 1, 2026, when determining annual recertifications or interim changes. The 2026 Payment Standards will apply only if the family moves to a different unit on or after January 1, 2026.