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 Payment Standard is the maximum monthly amount of assistance a family can receive in the Housing Choice Voucher program and is based on the region's fair market rent and funding from HUD.
Effective January 1, 2025
The Housing Authority of the County of Monterey uses the HUD (Housing and Urban Development) 50th Percentile Fair Market Rate Success Rate Payment Standards for Monterey County.