HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) issued Notice PIH 2018-19 providing guidance on the minimum heating requirements in public housing required by the “Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016” (HOTMA). Public housing agencies (PHAs) operating in states or localities that do not have minimum heating standards must use the standards described in the Notice.
If the PHA controls the heat in public housing developments, the minimum temperature in each unit must be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit. If the resident controls the heat, the equipment must have the capability of providing heat to at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
At no point should indoor temperatures in public housing units drop below 55 degrees. Heating equipment is designed to accommodate the lowest expected outdoor temperature, referred to as the “design-day temperature.” If the design-day temperature is 17 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the heating equipment should be able to maintain an indoor temperature of 68 degrees. PHAs may allow the indoor temperature to be lower than 68 degrees when the outside temperature drops below the design-day temperature, or when the outside temperature is within five degrees of the design-day temperature for more than two consecutive days.
Notice PIH 2018-19 is at: https://bit.ly/2RZZ7aj
More about the public housing program is on page 4-8 of NLIHC’s 2018 Advocates’ Guide.