Ford signs Housing and Community Development Act creating Section 8, shifting federal housing policy from building public units to subsidizing private-market rent

President Gerald Ford signed the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-383) on August 22, 1974. The law created the Section 8 program, establishing a new model for federal housing assistance: rather than building government-owned housing, HUD would subsidize private-market rent for low-income tenants who pay 30% of their income and the federal government covers the rest. Congress launched the program with $200 million. The act also created the Community Development Block Grant program, replacing eight categorical programs with a flexible formula grant.