Months later than in previous years, the Department of Housing and Urban Development on February 3, 2026 posted the factors used by affordable housing providers to adjust property budgets for 2026.

These factors, called Operating Cost Adjustment Factors (OCAFs), are used by certain HUD-assisted housing communities, including those participating in the agency’s project-based Section 8 and Section 202/8 programs. The factors are based on nine market factors analyzed by HUD and are used to offset cost increases for property operations while keeping the rents affordable for residents with low incomes.

Usually posted in October, HUD told LeadingAge that both the government shutdown in the fall and the shifts in staff capacity impacted the agency’s ability to release the OCAFs on time; in January, LeadingAge sent a letter alongside other housing groups urging HUD to immediately release the factors.

The OCAFs are effective February 11, 2026, and stipulate a 5.1% increase to budgets on average across the country, up slightly from last year’s national average of 4.8%.

View the OCAFs by state here. HUD’s Utility Allowance Factors are still delayed.