Section 8 Rental Housing: Merging Assistance Programs Has Benefits but Raises Implementation Issues

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed whether the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) two rental housing subsidy programs should be combined, focusing on the: (1) benefits of a merger; (2) major program differences that would need reconciliation; (3) merger's effect on HUD budgeting and financial management; and (4) effort needed to merge the two programs.