Budget and Workplan Template for Tenant Participation Funds - Public Housing Resident Organizing and Participation Toolkit

Sep 12, 2026

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Budget and workplan template and guidance for public housing resident councils managing tenant participation funds. Explains the funding model, the requirement for a written agreement between housing authority and resident council, and the yearly budget submission process. Provides a practical step-by-step budget workflow, including review of prior-year income and expenses, goal setting, creating a proposed budget, member notice, discussion and vote, ongoing tracking, and mid-year adjustments. Includes sections for income, expenses, and sample resident council budgets.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

Creating a Resident Council Budget and Workplan

Income

Expenses

Sample Resident Council Tenant Participation Funds Budget

Disbursement Document

Public Housing Resident Organizing and Participation Toolkit Budget and Workplan Template for Tenant Participation Funds Table of Contents Creating a Resident Council Budget and Workplan 3 Income 4 Expenses 5 Sample Resident Council Tenant Participation Funds Budget 6 Tenant participation funds 6 Stipends 6 SAMPLE Resident Council Annual Budget 7 Tenant participation funds 8 Stipends 8 Resident Council Annual Budget 9 Disbursement Document 10 This document is part of the Public Housing Resident Organizing and Participation Toolkit. The full toolkit includes topical guides, customizable resident council documents and forms, tools related to tenant participation funds, and case studies of resident organizations around the country. To see the full toolkit go to: [https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/public](https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/public)housing/resident-toolkit/ This document is provided for informational purposes only and isnot an official, or required, HUD document. Cover photo credit: iStockphoto CREATING A RESIDENT COUNCIL BUDGET AND WORKPLAN Resident councils work to improve residents’ quality of life and support residents in creating a positive living environment in their community. To support resident participation, HUD provides funding to public housing authorities (PHAs) for resident participation activities through the public housing operating subsidy each year. When Congress provides enough operating subsidy, at least $15 per unit annually goes from the housing authority to the resident council to carry out the council’s goals. THE FUNDING PROCESS CONGRESS RESIDENT COUNCIL The resident council should decide as an organization how to best use its funds provided by the housing authority. The council should seek to have the most impact and to use funds efficiently. For more information on tenant participation funds, including a sample agreement and decision-making tool, see the Tenant Participation Funds section of the Public Housing Resident Organizing and Participation Toolkit. See also the Sample Resident Council and Housing Authority Memorandum of Understanding. Funding can only be provided to a resident council through a written agreement between the housing authority and the resident council. All decisions on the use of funds must follow the law and the written agreement. Along with the agreement, the resident council must submit a budget to the housing authority each year. A budget is a plan that details all the money that the organization expects to receive (income) and money it expects to spend (expenses) for the given fiscal or calendar year. Budget Process 1. Review of previous year: At the end of the year, the board treasurer, with the support of other officers or a budget committee, should review the actual income and expenses. This review should include the impact of the expenditures. You can find public housing regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Most rules related to tenant organizing and participation are in Title 24, Housing and Urban Development, Part 964, Tenant Participation and Tenant Opportunities in Public Housing. 24 CFR § 964.150 links to the Funding tenant participation subsection. To read the regulations in detail, go to: [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[www.govinfo.gov/](www.govinfo.gov/)[ ](www.govinfo.gov/)app/details/CFR- 2016-title24-vol4/ CFR-2016-title24-vol4-sec964-150 » Review actual income » Review actual spending and what happened (Was it a good use of funds?) 2. Set goals for the next year: Consider what expenses best met the goals of the resident council, any new goals the resident council has, and any changes that are needed. Consult residents. This is a great agenda item for a resident council meeting. 3. Create a proposed budget: Based on this review (or best estimates if this is the first budget) the treasurer will create a proposed budget to present to the full resident co

FAQs

What is the required basis for providing tenant participation funds to a resident council?

Funds can be provided only through a written agreement between the housing authority and the resident council. Decisions must follow the law and the written agreement.

What steps should the treasurer follow to create the next year’s proposed budget?

Review the prior year’s actual income and expenses (including impact), set goals with resident input, and create a proposed budget whose expected expenses match expected income, with housing authority help to confirm estimates.

How should the resident council vote on the budget and handle tradeoffs?

During a full resident council meeting, the council discusses goals and proposed spending, then votes following the bylaws. The council should remember that approving expenses for one area reduces available funds for other areas.

Sep 12, 2026

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