The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has introduced a new proposed rule aimed at giving public housing authorities (PHAs) and Section 8 project-based rental assistance owners more flexibility to set work requirements and time limits for adults considered able to work but who are neither elderly nor disabled.
“Housing assistance was never meant to trap work-able individuals on government support their entire lives, rather it should be a temporary foundation to launch into a life of self-sufficiency. Getting a paycheck is empowering, getting a welfare check is not. HUD’s proposed rule will restore dignity and well-being among residents we serve. Our proposal expands access for deserving families on waiting lists, while still preserving protections for elderly and disabled households,” said Secretary Scott Turner.
Secretary Turner made this announcement at the Housing Authority of Champaign County (HACC), which has operated as a Moving to Work (MTW) designated PHA for over ten years. Nationwide, only a small percentage of PHAs currently have work requirements. At HACC, able-bodied individuals must work at least 15 hours per week, while families are required to meet a threshold of 30 hours per week collectively. Since adopting the MTW status in 2010, HACC reports that average household income among its participants nearly doubled. In 2025 alone, the authority transitioned 76 households off assistance toward self-sufficiency.
“Welfare checks bring temporary material relief—but permanent dependence on them destroys the human spirit. Work, not a welfare check, is the pathway to opportunity, stability, and the achievement of the American Dream. Today’s proposed rule will change lives, empower families, and set generations on a new upward trajectory. I am proud to work on advancing these goals under the strong and visionary leadership of President Trump and Secretary Turner,” said Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Benjamin Hobbs.
Based on results from MTW agencies like HACC—which have successfully implemented similar policies—HUD’s new proposal would allow all PHAs and owners nationwide to introduce up to 40-hour-per-week work requirements or set time limits starting at two years for non-disabled adults aged between 18 and 61. Local agencies could decide which household members must comply with these standards. Agencies implementing such measures would also be required to provide supportive services designed to help residents meet program requirements.
In addition to announcing the rule proposal in Champaign, Secretary Turner launched the Work and Dignity Coalition—a partnership among PHAs, property owners, tribal entities, states, nonprofits, and faith organizations—to back efforts that promote employment opportunities as part of HUD-supported housing programs.
Data from HUD shows that nearly half of non-elderly adult households receiving assistance had no member with reported earnings in 2024. The average length of stay in major rental programs has grown by several years since 2010; almost nine out of ten able-bodied recipients using Section 8 vouchers remain in subsidized housing longer than five years—and about half stay beyond fifteen years—even though current resources reach only one-quarter of eligible applicants nationwide.
