HUD Minimum Property Standards

Background

The MPS have been very influential in the design and construction of housing in the United States. They were established in the National Housing Act of 1934 as part of the establishment of the FHA insurance program for single-family housing. Eventually, MPS were developed for multifamily homes, nursing homes, urban renewal rehabilitation, and swimming pools. A separate set of standards was established to guide developers of public housing and other federally sponsored low-income housing.

The MPS were revised and expanded several times and were incorporated in the Veterans Administration Home Loan programs after World War II. In 1973, the MPS were revised, and the various standards were combined into three volumes that included single-family, multifamily, and care-type facilities. Public and subsidized housing was eventually incorporated into the standards as well. A supplemental document, the 1978 HUD Manual of Acceptable Practices (MAP), provided information to aid in the use and interpretation of the MPS. Besides providing requirements for structural quality and neighborhood development, the early standards established numerous livability requirements, including room sizes, kitchen design, and bathroom spaces.

By the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was concern that the MPS were a duplication of, or at least in conflict with, national model building codes for single-family housing. In 1984, the MPS were modified again, and the requirements for one- and two-family dwelling units and multifamily units were combined. Livability and durability standards [Page 380]remained in effect for multifamily housing, but single family housing was covered by model building codes.

Overview of Current Requirements

The latest revisions to the MPS occurred in 1994 and are documented in HUD Handbook 4910.1. These standards rely on model building codes and local codes compliant with model building codes to determine the minimum standards needed for housing developed as part of a HUD housing program. If a locality does not have a building code in effect, the appropriate HUD Field Office will designate one of the national model codes.

The main body of the MPS details requirements for multifamily and health care–type facilities. Special applications for housing for the elderly and housing for the physically disabled are also explained. The requirements cover site design, building design, materials, and construction.

MPS for single-family housing is located in Appendix K (24 CFR 200.926). This section describes the procedures for being in compliance with various building codes and the HUD procedures for approving code jurisdiction. There are also requirements related to site design, construction, energy, and water supply, among others.

Durability remains a critical consideration in the FHA insurance of housing, and these are not addressed in the building codes. Therefore, a major portion of the current MPS is the designation of durability criteria for building products, such as windows, doors, cabinets, and paint. These criteria were established to ensure limited deterioration of the building components of the insured housing structure.

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